Fortune Favours: Decoy
by riccinbru
Summary: Kate volunteers to decoy for Tony as his girlfriend at a family dinner.
1. Chapter 1: Kate

**Part 1: Kate**

Something's wrong with Tony...

Tony's usual one hundred watt smile and infectious good cheer had been MIA for forty-eight hours. Not that he wasn't allowed to have off-days, Kate admitted to herself, watching him walk towards the coffee room, but it was decidedly unlikely that it would last this long. She'd known him for over a year, and she could count the times he'd been like this for more than a couple of hours on one hand. Without using all the fingers. No, something was definitely going on with her friend, and it was high time someone found out what.

Her hand was halfway to the phone before she stopped herself. No, she couldn't call Gibbs. Not yet, anyway. Their boss was in the middle of two weeks enforced leave, a product of not taking holidays for three years, and the director had given their entire department explicit instructions not to go calling him if it could be at all helped. Gibbs had given them contradictory instructions, of course, but Kate knew that he needed the break as much as the doctors thought he did, and as much as he himself denied needing it at all. He was probably in his basement, working away on his boat, slowly relaxing and gearing down a little. But if she called him, and told him that she thought there was something wrong with Tony... No, that wouldn't do any of them any good. He might have known Tony longer than she had, but that didn't necessarily mean that he knew what might be wrong.

Abby then, or Ducky? Kate turned the ideas over in her mind. No, probably not. They might have noticed his mood as well, but as much as she thought he liked them and considered them friends, she didn't think he would confide in them.

That meant it was up to her. Right then.

Tony came back from the coffee room empty-handed. "What's wrong with the coffee, besides the usual?" Kate asked him, hoping maybe he would start teasing her.

Instead, he shrugged listlessly. "Didn't see much point in taking any. I think I'm going."

"Leaving? Now?" It was the end of the day, but if he left now, she wouldn't see him for two whole days. Even with Gibbs' absence, they maintained their twelve days on, two days off schedule, and this was their weekend off. They were on call, of course, but unless something untoward happened, Kate wouldn't talk to him again before Monday. Who knew what could happen to his mood in that time?

"Yeah, I've got a family thing this weekend. Thought I might get a head start on the driving." He turned off his computer and desk lamp. "How about you, Kate? Doing anything this weekend?"

She shrugged. "No plans. I thought about flannel pajamas, buttered popcorn, and a movie one night."

He eyed her, almost greedily. "That sounds nice."

Kate blinked. There was an undertone there, but she had no idea what it could mean. Whatever else, he was actually serious about her stay-in plans. This was bad, very bad. "Hey," she said as he turned to get his jacket. "You want to get some dinner? Before you start driving?" He hesitated, so she sweetened the pot. "I'll buy."

Half an hour later, they were sitting at a small table in their favourite Chinese restaurant, ordering more dishes than the two of them could possibly eat. "We should've called Gibbs," Tony said, handing his menu to the waiter. "He must miss us."

"And he probably hasn't eaten properly in days," Kate agreed. "You know how he gets."

"I do." Tony grinned at her. That was encouraging, even if the smile was still lacking in intensity.

Kate raised her green tea to her lips and took a drink, preparatory to beginning what she hoped wouldn't feel like an interrogation. "So you've got dinner with the family?" she asked. His expression fell immediately. What, had she hit it right off? What would be the chances? "What is it, Tony?" she asked.

"Nothing, Kate, really," he said, not looking at her. Then he started to push his water glass around, streaking condensation across the tiled table surface.

"Nothing," she said. "Really."

He didn't answer for a moment. Finally, he pursed his lips and sighed slightly. "I don't really want to go," he said.

Kate looked at him closely. "Tony–" He raised his head. "You're Italian. How can you not want to go to a family dinner? Or is your family a train-wreck, like mine?"

He chuckled and ducked his head. "No, my family's great. But... I have a new cousin-in-law this year, and I'd kind of rather avoid her."

"Why?"

"Because I dated her, a long time ago."

Kate whistled silently and leaned back in her chair. "That could be awkward. How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long did you date her for?"

He suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Oh, not long. Just two... maybe three... years."

"Years?" Kate leaned forward over the table. "Years, DiNozzo?"

"Say it louder, Kate; I don't think the whole restaurant heard you," he snapped, pushing back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. Immediately, he looked apologetic. "Sorry."

She waved it off. "You just surprised me. I mean, I've only known you to stay with one woman for, what, three weeks, tops?"

He shrugged and went back to looking at his water glass. "Annette kind of turned me off long-term relationships for a while."

"Went badly, did it?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You have no idea."

"And then she married your cousin?"

He tossed his hair back out of his eyes. The smile he gave her was self-deprecating. "Ain't life grand?"

"No wonder you've been in a bad mood."

"Bad mood? Who says I've–" He stopped before he could really get rolling. "Yeah," he said slowly. "I guess I have."

"So why go?" Kate asked. "Call your parents up, tell them you have to work."

"It's my parents' thirty-seventh anniversary, Kate, even if they're just using it as an excuse for a family dinner. I can't not go. Besides, I don't see the rest of the family that often anymore. That'll be worth the trip."

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself." He glared at her. "What? It's my fault you have no poker face when you're unhappy?"

He seemed to come to a decision, because he shook his head slightly, then leaned across the table towards her. She leaned in as well. "See, Kate, here's the thing. Every time I'm home, my mom and my aunts are after me to settle down, meet a nice girl and raise a bunch of kids. And usually I'm okay with that. It's a little annoying, but whatever. That's life in my family. But tomorrow, with Annette being there..." He frowned. "I'm just not in the mood for it."

"I can see that," Kate said slowly. Thinking, she took the paper off her chopsticks and began to roll it between her fingertips. "There has to be some way to take the pressure off you. Distract them, maybe. Can you tell them you're seeing someone?"

He shook his head. "They'll want to know about her, and then they'll wonder why I didn't bring her. That's a lot of lies to keep straight, even if my mother doesn't see right through it." He smiled a little. "You know how, sometimes, people our age get into situations where, in spite of everything we've accomplished, we're made to feel like nothing because we haven't paired up yet?"

Kate laughed humourlessly. "Don't I," she said. "You're not the only one, you know."

Tony took a sip of his water, and his brow furrowed. "I thought about taking someone with me, just showing up with someone–"

"And your parents wouldn't think that was suspicious? Randomly bringing someone to their anniversary dinner?"

He shook his head. "They always want to meet my friends. They're the kind of parents whose door is always open, no matter what." He looked up at her, as if gauging her understanding. Her family wasn't like that at all, but she'd had friends whose families were, so she nodded. "Anyway, I thought about it, but I couldn't think of anyone..."

"Safe?" Kate supplied.

He nodded. "Exactly. Taking a girl to meet the family… She'd probably get the wrong idea. And if I told her why I wanted to take her, she probably wouldn't want to go. And she wouldn't want to see me again. So it's easier just to..." He shrugged. "...deal with it."

Kate sighed. "I hate to see you like this, Tony," she said. "I wish there was something I could do."

He reached across the table and gripped her hand briefly, smiling. "This is enough, Kate. I feel better."

"But it's just dinner. You're still going to go off to face this alone..." She stopped, struck by a sudden thought. "Why don't I go with you?"

Tony stared at her. "Are you crazy?" he asked.

"No, why not?" she said. "I won't get the wrong idea, and having me there will at least take the matron pressure off."

"Kate, you don't want to give up your weekend just for–"

"Oh, yeah, Tony, I'd be giving up a lot. Sitting at home reading or watching television, or, Heaven forbid, house cleaning." She shuddered dramatically.

"Kate, I appreciate it, but really–"

"And we could look at it as practice being undercover. There won't be a huge back-story; we've known each other for a year. We're just going to have to add some romance to our existing relationship, and we can keep that straight."

"Kate–"

"It wouldn't be the first time I've been a decoy girlfriend. This could work."

"Kate!" She stopped and looked at him expectantly. "I appreciate the offer, but you really don't want to meet my family."

She tipped her head to the side and took a breath, but just then the waiter arrived with their food. She waited until he had put the plates down and departed. "It's not that I want to meet your family, Tony," she said. "It's that I want to help out a friend." He started to say something, but she held up her hand. "Look, just think about it, okay? You can decide when we're done eating."

He looked at her for a moment. "All right," he conceded. "Let's talk about something else, okay?"

It was hard at first, because Kate wanted to say more to convince him of the merits of her plan, but except for a little bit of awkwardness at the beginning, conversation flowed smoothly as they ate. She even had him laughing, with almost all of his usual humour, as they made a list of movies that would go well with flannel and popcorn. But eventually, they finished eating, and the waiter brought back the leftover food in ubiquitous Styrofoam containers and left again with Kate's credit card. She turned to Tony, who was mangling his fortune cookie.

"Well?" she asked.

He glanced up at her, and sighed. "I appreciate the offer, Kate, I really do. But I don't want to inflict my family on you." She started to protest, but he ran her over. "I'll be fine, Kate. I'll be back to normal on Monday."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded. "You just go home and have a wonderful weekend with _Roman Holiday_."

She snorted, and took the slips and pen from the waiter as he brought her credit card back. "I thought we decided on _Plan Nine from Outer Space_."

"You can't watch that one alone; it's just not funny without a bunch of friends–"

And they were off again. The argument took them out into the parking lot, and then there was an awkward silence as they stood by their cars. "Well," Kate said, "I hope it goes okay."

"Thanks," Tony replied. He smiled at her. "Have a good weekend, Kate."

She touched his arm. "You too, Tony. See you Monday."

She got home in short order, and stripped off her work clothes, changing into jeans and a T-shirt. Then she curled up in her armchair with a book. She'd read two chapters when there was a knock on the door. She got up, checked through the peephole, and opened it. Tony leaned on her doorframe, and he looked at her seriously.

"You said you've done this before?" he asked. "Been a decoy girlfriend?" She nodded. "Want to take a trip?"

She smiled at him. "Just let me pack."


	2. Chapter 2: Tony

Fortune Favours: Decoy Author's Note and Disclaimer

Rating: PG-13 for some language and sexual situations

Specific Disclaimer: NCIS and related settings and characters belong to David Bellisario and company. I am not making any money from this piece of fluff. Tony's family in this story belongs to me, although according to the CBS website, he doesn't have brothers or sisters, and his parents are from Long Island and are bankers. This relegates this story and all sequels to AU status. However, if you'd like to borrow any of the characters, or archive the story elsewhere, please email me )!

Author's Note: I'm completely overwhelmed by the response to Chapter 1! Thank you all so much!

**Part 2: Tony**

He had absolutely, positively decided that he was just going to go it alone. He knew his family; if he showed up with Kate, his mother and aunts would almost immediately ask when the wedding would be, and they would practically be picking flowers and booking the church by the time dessert was served. After all, when he'd brought Annette to Thanksgiving dinner three months after they'd started dating, his Aunt Lina had demanded to know why he hadn't proposed to her yet. Annette had laughed it off, of course; that was just the way she was...

_No, DiNozzo. Stop thinking about her. That's an order._

He got home, packed his suitcase, stared longingly at his leather couch for a moment, then put his jacket back on. He dug into his pockets for his keys, and that was when his fingers encountered the fortune from the restaurant. He hadn't even read it there, had just automatically put it in his pocket, but now he took it out. It read, "God gives us relatives; thank God we can choose our friends." He smirked. How appropriate. He tacked the fortune up with the rest of the collection on his bulletin board, picked up his suitcase, and left his apartment.

He blamed the fortune for the way his car had driven him to Kate's building, and the way his feet had moved up the stairs to her apartment, and the way his hand had knocked at her door. And it was completely the fortune's fault that he had asked her to come with him. But as they got onto the highway and drove into the night, he did thank God he could choose his friends, because with Kate in the passenger's seat beside him, he felt like he just might be able to get through this weekend.

They'd stopped for gas before hitting the highway, and Kate opened the bottle of ginger ale she'd bought. She took a swig, capped it, set it in the cup holder, then leaned back in the seat. Tony glanced over at her a couple of times. Finally, she said, "Spit it out, DiNozzo."

"It's just I can't figure out why you would have been a decoy girlfriend before," he said. "Any guy would be crazy not to date you for real."

"Even you?" she asked with a grin.

"That's different," he said dismissively. "We're coworkers. Partners. Brothers under the uniform. And Gibbs would kill me if we did."

"Aren't you exaggerating? He told me he'd fire me if I broke that rule. Nothing about death."

"Fire, kill, it's all the same to Gibbs, you know."

"He'd better not find out about this weekend, then, even if we can justify it as work-related."

"It'll be our dirty little secret. So you're avoiding my question."

"You asked a question?"

"Come on, Kate."

She sighed. "A friend of mine, a good friend, back in high school, wasn't real eager to come out to his parents. So he let them assume I was his girlfriend."

"And you went along with that?"

"For a while. I was... a little lonely growing up. It meant I got to hang out with him a lot. And it wasn't like we went out of our way to make them believe we were dating. We just didn't tell them otherwise."

"Sounds... unfulfilling."

She chuckled. "Yeah, it was. But he told them once he got into college. Which was good, because by then I was pretty close to kicking his ass about it." She looked over at him, and he glanced at her. As they passed under a streetlight, her face was thrown into relief, and he saw the gleam in her eyes. "I'd grown a bit more backbone."

"I think I would have felt sorry for him," Tony said, turning back to the road.

"Don't. He was a bloody procrastinator. He needed some ass-kicking."

Tony was surprised at the undertones of annoyance, caring, and hurt in her voice. He just about asked for more information, but he knew this woman, so he dropped the topic. She kept her personal life fairly private. He wasn't sure if she had allowed him far enough behind her defenses yet to ask those sorts of questions. Instead, he said, "From personal experience, it would have been very motivating."

"Thank you, Tony." There was a brief moment of silence. "Are we driving all the way there tonight?"

"No, I usually stop at a motel after a few hours."

"So I don't need to sleep. Good." She leaned down to dig through her purse. "All right," she said, "let's make up some back-story." She sat up with her PDA in her hand.

"Now?"

"Got any other plans?"

"Well..."

"There you go. Okay. How long have we been dating?"

"Long enough that I'm taking you home to meet the family," he said.

"A few months, then? More than two?" She paused thoughtfully. "We should keep this as close to real events as possible, so it's less of a lie. How about we got together shortly after Gitmo?" He looked over at her, and she was grinning wickedly at him. "Once I saw you in your full splendour, I decided you might be worth... looking into."

He laughed. Good God, it felt nice to really laugh. "Perfect. It started out as just sex–"

"But grew into something a lot deeper."

"I realized it when you were taken hostage."

"Wait, wait, I have to write this down." She quickly jotted some notes into her PDA. "All right, let's get a little more specific. How did you ask me out the first time?"

"I didn't. You asked me."

"Oh, right. Umm..." In his peripheral, he saw her tapping the stylus against her chin. "I asked you out for Chinese," she said thoughtfully. "Just like tonight. And then I bribed you to come back to my place with promises of... What kind of nightcap would tempt you?"

"Taylor Twenty," Tony said immediately.

"Wow, high-brow tastes. I never would have guessed."

"There's a lot about me you'd never guess, Kate, dear." He grinned at her.

"I'm beginning to see. All right, I bribed you with a fresh bottle of Taylor Twenty that I'd got as a birthday present. One thing led to another. Do you think that would work?"

Tony nodded. "Sounds plausible."

It was almost fun, creating the fictitious romance. By the time Tony pulled into a motel close to midnight, they'd come up with a good series of easily remembered details. He rented a room, and they stumbled inside. They argued briefly over who got which bed, but they were both too tired to really make much of an effort. Tony let Kate have the bathroom first, and by the time he'd finished with it, she was curled up under the sheets.

"All right," she said with a yawn as he climbed into the other bed, "so give me a sit-rep. What are we going into?"

"Dinner," he said, lying on his back and looking at the cracked ceiling. "Just dinner."

"Yeah, I believe you. That's why you've been acting like a martyr for the last two days. Look, just give me the major players. Start with the matrons."

He thought about it for a moment. "All right. There'll be two there this weekend: my mother and my aunt Lina. Lina is married to my father's brother. It's only the two of them, so it won't be too bad." He grimaced. All seven of his aunts had been at Christmas the third year he and Annette had been together. They'd been on the rocks by that time, and the constant female pressure hadn't helped any. "Mama and Lina are pretty direct, and they respond to the same kind of directness. They also have this weird sixth sense about lying, so we'll have to watch it. Lina's been really after me about settling down." He frowned. "Maybe it's because she's Uncle Leo's wife, and they only had daughters. She's all about carrying on the family name."

"Okay. Mom, Lina, and Leo. Got it." She yawned again. "Who else will be there?"

"This can wait until morning, Kate."

"We'll go over it in the morning. Run me through it now."

He sighed. She was so single-minded, and he was too focused on the weekend for a snappy comeback. "All right." He went on to describe all the relations he knew were coming to his parents' house. It was a long list. He paused, though, before he said, "And then there's Julio and Annette."

Kate was silent. "Do you think you should tell me a little more about her?" she said finally.

"Like what?"

"Like what you'd tell a real girlfriend before she met this other woman."

Tony tried to fluff up the motel pillow, studiously avoiding the gaze he knew she'd turned on him. "I don't think I'd tell you much more than you already know," he said. "We were together almost three years, the last one was bad, the break-up was worse. We haven't spoken since. She invited me to the wedding, but I didn't go. She knows how to push all my buttons, and Julio and I don't really get along. If I get through the weekend without getting in a screaming match with her or a fight with him, I'll be lucky."

"That's where I come in," Kate said. "Don't worry, we'll manufacture some luck."

"Thanks, Kate."

"That it, then?"

"Yup."

"Good, 'cause I'm tired." She reached out and turned off the lamp between them, plunging the room into darkness. "Good night, Tony."

Tony continued to lie there, staring upwards. There was something else he had to say, and he was loath to bring it up. "Kate?"

"Hmm?"

"My family's very... They're Italian. They'll..." Lord, this was hard. "They'll expect to see some... demonstrations of affection."

She was silent. Then she said, "It's all part of the op, Tony. If anyone asks, you can say I'm not much on public displays. That's the truth, anyway. You just take the lead and let me know what we need to do to make this convincing."

"All right," he said, relieved at her professionalism. "Good night, Kate." He rolled onto his side.

"Tony?"

He opened his eyes and stared at the patch of light reflected through the bathroom window. "Yeah?"

"Take advantage of this, and I'll make you regret it."

He grinned. "Yes, mother."

He listened to her breathing slow as she fell asleep. She really was something, giving up her weekend to run interference for him with his family. Not many other people would have done that. He wasn't sure he would have done it, if the situations had been reversed. No, he was lucky, he thought as he too sank down towards unconscious darkness, very lucky to have a friend like Kate Todd.


	3. Chapter 3: Kate

Author's note: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! And I apologize for the lateness of this update. I blame school, work, fencing, and the fact that my computer at home is so rarely on anymore because I'm hardly ever home... Disclaimer and updated notes on the profile page.

**Part 3: Kate**

Tony's parents' house was exactly as she'd expected. Kate examined it through the rain-speckled window as they pulled up and Tony skillfully parallel-parked in the one available space anywhere near the house. It was two-storeys, older, white wooden siding with green trim, a porch out front, and every window burning with welcoming light through the dreary day. It was something out of a suburban cliché.

Tony put the car in park and turned off the ignition. She looked back at him. He was also looking at the house, but his expression was decidedly unhappy. "Ready for this?" he asked.

"What's my favourite colour?"

"Red. I helped you paint your living room Labour Day weekend, even though I thought you were crazy. What was my dog's name growing up?"

"Preston. Since you moved out, you always call one of your houseplants that. Of course, since I've been around, Preston's survived more than a month." She looked at him. "Don't worry, Tony. We can pull this off."

He nodded curtly, then opened his door. Kate also got out of the car, and stood on the curb waiting for him. He locked the car, then came around to her. He reached out and took her hand in his. She squeezed his fingers and smiled at him. He sighed, then graced her with one in return. Together, they walked towards the house.

They hadn't even made it halfway up the walk before the front door burst open, and an older woman with stylish salt-and-pepper hair came out onto the porch. "Anthony!" she cried, a huge smile on her face. She threw her arms wide and stood waiting.

Tony's smile became more natural as he dropped Kate's hand and bounded up the steps. He wrapped his arms around the woman. "Hi, Mama," he said.

Kate hung back, letting him greet his mother without distraction. Mrs. DiNozzo had noticed her, of course, but she decided to let Tony handle the introductions in his own way. Finally, they broke apart, and Mrs. DiNozzo gave her son's arm a little shake. "You're early," she said. "We didn't expect you before this afternoon."

"We started driving last night," Tony said.

"Ah," she replied, and unerringly she turned her gaze to Kate. Kate stood up a little straighter; she was glad she'd dressed nicely. "And who is this, then? You didn't tell me you were bringing someone with you, Anthony."

Tony turned around and held a hand out to her. Kate walked up the steps and took it, falling in beside him. He released her hand and put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer as he spoke. "Sorry, Mama, but I decided to invite Kate at the last minute, and I didn't think you'd mind if I brought her. Kate, this is my mother, Natalie DiNozzo. Mama, this is Kate Todd."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. DiNozzo. Happy anniversary," Kate said, holding out her hand for the other woman to shake. "I've heard a lot about you." _In the last twelve hours..._

Tony's mother's grip was strong, and she looked at Kate with blatant curiousity. "Kate? You work with Anthony, don't you?"

"Yes, we're at NCIS together. I'm sorry to drop in on your anniversary like this..."

Mrs. DiNozzo dropped Kate's hand to make a dismissive gesture. "Ah, in a house like this, one person one way or the other doesn't make any difference. I'm sure you've been told that."

"I have," she said, smiling and glancing up at Tony.

"And you're certainly welcome!" she said, her eyes beginning to glow with fervour. "Anthony hasn't brought someone to meet us in a long..."

She broke off suddenly, and Tony's face had taken on a wooden quality by the time Kate turned back to him. She cleared her throat and returned her attention to his mother. "Tony said I shouldn't bring anything," she said brightly, "but I'd like to help if I could. Is there something I can do?"

Mrs. DiNozzo seized upon the change of topic. "Right now, just come in and introduce yourself. All your brothers are here, Anthony, and Aunt Lina, and–" Her recitation of those already arrived took them into the hallway and through shedding their shoes and coats. Kate could feel the tension radiating off Tony, so as soon as she had put her outer garments away, she placed herself back at his side and threaded her arm through his, squeezing it tightly. He looked down at her, a somewhat hunted look in his eyes. She held his gaze, and he seemed to draw some comfort from that, because he relaxed slightly.

"Go on into the living room, you two," Mrs. DiNozzo said. "I have to go back to work." She sighed dramatically. "Ai me, so much to do. Kate, come find me in the kitchen when Anthony's done showing you off." She smiled. "I think I should get to know you better."

_Oh hell, what have I gotten myself into?_ Kate thought wildly. The lapse of conviction lasted for only a second, though. _I'm doing this for a friend,_ she reiterated. _Tony needs me to be here, to do this._ She smiled. "All right, Mrs. DiNozzo," she said.

"Natalie, please, Kate," she said. "Go on then!" She waved them off, then turned and retreated further into the house.

Kate looked up at Tony. "It's not too late," he told her quietly.

"Yes, it is," she said. "Look, let's just stick to the op plan. We can revise it later if we need to."

"I never thought I'd be treating a family dinner as an operation," he said, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.

Kate giggled, but quickly tried to cover it up; she hated the way she sounded when she giggled. Tony's smile emerged onto his face, and his eyes began to sparkle a little. Then a wave of laughter overrode the low hum of noise that indicated a crowd of people, and he dropped back into a defensive readiness. Kate fought to keep her worry from showing on her face. Whatever it took, she decided, she was going to get him through this weekend and back to normal. Decisively, she dropped his arm and put her hand into the back pocket of his pants. He looked at her in shock. "Come on, then, lover-boy," she said, twitching her eyebrows at him. "Introduce me to your folks, so I can go convince your mother that we're five steps from the altar."

He snorted, but put his arm over her shoulder. "All right, sweetheart," he said. "How are you with faces and names?"

Not good enough, it soon turned out. Their entrance into the living room caused great jubilation, and they were swarmed with relatives. Kate managed to commit Tony's father (Stefan), his two brothers (Raphael and Mario), their wives (Lisa and Rebecca), Aunt Lina, and her two daughters and spouses (Rosa and Bob, and Chari and Max) to memory before she became a little overwhelmed and lost track of the family tree. She was quickly separated from Tony and pulled to a corner by the women, made to sit down in a comfortable settee, and plied with cookies and coffee, while the other women chatted about mutual acquaintances she didn't know. She was grateful, actually; it allowed her to take stock of the situation and identify the players better.

"It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?" Rebecca said to her in an undertone.

Kate glanced at Tony's sister-in-law, who sat next to her, then back out at the crowded room. She easily found Tony, who was standing among his brothers telling some story that required a great deal of arm-waving. At least he seemed a lot happier now. "A little," she said. "My family's not this big."

"Neither's mine," Rebecca said. "I remember the first time Mario brought me here for Easter. I'd met the immediate family before, but nothing Mario said prepared me for this." She made a small encompassing gesture. As she did it, her gaze turned to the group of brothers, who were now laughing uproariously. "So you finally tied him down, did you?" she said.

"Who, Tony?" She smiled as Rebecca turned back to her. "Tony doesn't get tied down. He just gets someone to share the ride."

"There must be something special about D.C.," Rebecca said thoughtfully. "He's been with NCIS longer than any other place, and now you."

"Why the interest?" Kate asked.

Rebecca shrugged. "Tony stayed with us for a while before he went to Baltimore, and I got to know him. And besides, Mario's my husband. He doesn't say it, but I know he's been worried about Tony. He's the oldest, and Tony's the youngest, and he has this whole... I've-got-to-look-out-for-my-baby-brother thing."

"Tony's fine," Kate said. "He's all right."

"You're lying," Rebecca said calmly. "You wouldn't be keeping such a close eye on him if he was all right."

Kate swore briefly in her head. "He's the only one I know here," she improvised. "I just..."

But Rebecca was shaking her head. "I've known Tony for over ten years," she said. "He's not the type to fail the party test, and neither are his girlfriends. What's up, Kate?"

Kate frowned, her mental tirade beginning to use stronger language. True, Tony would never be with a clingy woman for very long, but she wished Rebecca weren't so observant. On the other hand, she seemed to have Tony's best interests at heart. "He needed someone here," she said. "Someone on his side."

"You're waiting for Annette," Rebecca said, lowering her voice still further. Kate nodded slightly. The other woman looked thoughtful. "Look, Kate, we're not going to be done here until late. Mario's probably already offering, but I will too. We've got a spare bedroom. Why don't you two spend the night with us before you start driving back to Washington?"

"I'll have to check with Tony–" Kate said, surprised at the sudden change of topic.

"Mario and Tony are close," Rebecca said. "I think after tonight, he'll need more than just one person on his side."

Kate looked closer at the other woman, and suddenly saw something familiar looking back at her through Rebecca's steady gaze. It was the same thing that had made her offer to accompany Tony to this place. She smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I probably can't do it all myself."

"It's settled then," Rebecca said. "I'll tell Mario and Tony."

"And I," Kate said, "will go into the kitchen and get to know Natalie better."

"She's harmless," Rebecca said with a grin as they both stood up. "Her bark is worse than her bite." She placed a companionable hand on Kate's shoulder, then started across the room to where the brothers stood.

Kate watched her go, then threaded her way through the seated women, who expressed dismay that she was leaving until she said she was going into the kitchen to help with dinner. Then a knowing look passed around them, and they shooed her on her way with vague directions to the room in question. Kate stopped at the entranceway and looked back. Rebecca had easily joined the group of men, and stood sandwiched between Tony and Mario, listening intently to Raphael as he expounded on some subject. Kate examined Tony for a moment. Would he be all right while she was out of the room? Would he need her? He seemed to sense her attention, because his eyes moved to her, though his body remained at rest. She tipped her head at him in question. He smiled slightly, blinked slowly, and nodded. He shifted a little closer to his brother and sister-in-law. Good. She nodded back, then glanced over her shoulder and back to him. He nodded again, and his fingers, spread on his hip from where his thumb was hooked in the pocket of his jeans, flared up and out at her. _Go,_ the gesture said. _I know where to find you._ She nodded again, then turned and followed the scent of baking bread and other goodies towards the kitchen. It was time to play daughter-in-law. She just hoped she could pull it off.


	4. Chapter 4: Tony

**Part 4: Tony**

Tony watched Kate turn and leave the living room before he went back to listening to Rafe. His brother was talking about his job, a fascinating subject at any time. Their father had been a grocer his entire life, and their mother a seamstress; no one would have expected that their three sons and one daughter would turn out to be a bank manager, a nightclub owner, a cop, and a commercial architect respectively.

"So there I am, one bouncer down on the ground, the other three tied up with holding the crowd back, this absolutely piss-drunk university football player ready to start a riot because we won't play Celine Dion for him and his girlfriend, and the rest of his piss-drunk university football buddies ready to back him up. And I'm thinking, 'Rafe, there's a way out of this. There's got to be.'"

"You always worked best under pressure, Rafe," Mario teased. "Remember when Mama caught you bringing that garter snake into the house?"

Rafe glared briefly at Mario, then went on. "So I tell the football player that we don't usually play Celine Dion on Underground nights, but if he and his girlfriend would like to wait in my office, I'd figure something out for them. They're so far gone that they just take my word for it, don't even think that I'm going to call the cops. I thought about it, believe me, but with the whole football team there, that would have been a mistake. So I get another idea. Thank God my DJ stores a lot of his stuff in the back. I get one of the serving girls to escort the two lovebirds to my office, then grab the DJ and ask him where his Celine Dion disks are. He tells me, and I run and grab one. On my way to the office, I grab a bottle of champagne and two glasses. They're making out on my couch when I get there, but I get their attention. Then I plug the disk into my office stereo, pop the champagne and pour them two glasses, tell them it's on the house, happy anniversary, and I leave. Half an hour later, they come out more wasted than before, declare to God and the whole University of Illinois football team that this is the best club in town, and the whole lot of them take off like nothing happened. Which, for them, it probably didn't, because I don't think any of them remembered it the next morning."

"And all it cost you was one bottle of champagne?" Tony asked.

"And the cleaning bill," Rafe said. "You should have seen the mess they left in my office. I couldn't go in there until the place was bleached."

Tony laughed. "And this from the man who didn't know the colour of his bedroom carpet until he moved out."

"Hey, that was messy," Rafe replied with a grin. "This was disgusting." They all laughed. "How about you, Tony?" he asked. "Got to be something interesting going on in national security."

_Mummified soldiers,_ Tony thought. _Missing weapons. Escaped prisoners. Terrorist plots. I got kidnapped. Gerald and Gibbs got shot. Kate got taken hostage, twice._ "Nah," he said. "Same old, you know? Someone breaks the law, we find out who and arrest them."

"Oh, come on," Rafe said. "The way you talk, you'd think your job's just as boring as Mario's."

"Hey!" Mario said, feigning indignation. "I'll have you know that my job is plenty exciting! Why, just the other day, we had someone apply for a mortgage–"

"No, no," Rafe said, cutting him off with waving hands. "No mortgages, please! I just bought a house!"

"And didn't I help you through it?"

"Well, yes. But that doesn't mean I need to hear mortgage stories!"

Mario shook his head tolerantly, then turned to Tony. "How about you, Tony?" he asked. "When are you going to ask me for mortgage advice?"

"When I'm in one place long enough to think about buying," Tony replied automatically.

"Hey, brother, four years in D.C.? If I were you, I'd start thinking."

"Gibbs could fire me tomorrow," he protested, but even he could hear how weak that sounded. "Or I could start having issues with him." That sounded even weaker.

Mario shrugged. "If you want to keep throwing your money away, Tony, that's your call. It just looks to me like you have several reasons to be staying in D.C. for a while." He didn't move, didn't even look away, but Tony knew exactly what his brother was saying.

"And two salaries would make affording a place a lot easier?" he said.

Mario looked at Rebecca. "Two salaries makes everything a lot easier," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back, and then he turned back to Tony. "But again, that's your call."

He had a good brother. "Let me ask you something, Rebecca," he said, turning to his sister-in-law. "How long do I leave Kate alone in there with Mama before I go rescue her?"

Rebecca laughed. "Kate can handle herself, can't she? The question is, how long are you comfortable leaving the two of them alone together?" Her smile took on a mischievous edge. "After all, when Mario left me alone with her the first time, it only took her fifteen minutes before she was showing me his naked baby pictures."

"What?" Both Tony and Mario's voices sounded at the same time, and Rafe burst out laughing.

"She managed to restrain herself that long, Becca?" he said. "I was hardly out of the room when she was pulling down the photo albums for Lis."

"I... I can't let... I have to..." Tony turned away and started towards the kitchen, but Rafe caught him by the shoulder.

"Relax, Tony," he said. "She's cooking dinner. I don't think you have to worry for another few hours yet."

Tony allowed his brother to pull him back, but the idea of Kate seeing his baby pictures was mortifying. He'd have to find some way of making sure his mother never got the opportunity. Good God, why hadn't he thought of it? Of course his mother would want to show Kate pictures from his childhood. Hell, she was probably in there right now, telling Kate all the silly embarrassing little things he'd done growing up. He scrubbed at his face with his hands. This was so very, very bad.

"It's all right, Tony," Rafe said, an edge of concern in his voice. "She's done it to all of us. She's even done it to you..."

_With Annette_. Every one of them heard what Rafe had stopped himself from saying; he was sure of it by the quality of the silence that blanketed them for a moment. Tony stopped himself from physically wincing, but he couldn't stop his eyes from squeezing shut behind his covering hands. _Christ, man, what's your problem? It's been five years. Aren't you over her yet?_

"I know," he said, schooling his expression enough to drop his hands and face his brothers again. "But you don't understand. This is Kate."

"She cares about you, Tony," Rebecca said. "A few baby pictures aren't going to change that."

Tony was about to protest, but a sudden cacophony of youthful noise caught him off guard. "Unka Rafe! Unka Mar-yo! Unka Tony!"

Three small figures burst in upon them, seeming to multiply in their exuberance. Tony caught one under the arms and whipped him into the air. "Gotcha!" he said, and the boy laughed in delight. "Which one are you, now?" he said, wiggling the boy side to side.

"Peter!"

"No, I'm Peter," said the one who was running around Rafe's legs.

"No, I'm Peter!" yelled the one that Mario had slung over his shoulder.

Tony moved the squirming child under one arm. "You had to have triplets," he told his sister as she followed her boys into the living room. He reached out with his free arm.

Elena grinned and kissed him on the cheek before hugging him tightly, deftly avoiding her son, still clutched under Tony's arm. "Thought I might as well get it over with," she said, completing the standing joke. "Hey, brother."

"Hey, sis," he murmured. "Long time, no see."

"And whose fault is that?" she asked as she pulled away to greet her other brothers.

"No one but mine," Tony said under his breath, then set the struggling unidentified nephew on the floor and began to tickle him. The boy shrieked in laughter, but he was so small that Tony had to follow him down to keep it up as he collapsed. Suddenly he found himself piled upon by the other two, and allowed himself to be pinned to the floor under three small bodies who began to tickle him in return. He wrestled with his nephews for a moment, but their attention was soon drawn by their grandfather, who called them over to say hello. Elena's husband Eric helped Tony to his feet, and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Sorry 'bout that, man," he said. "They've been in the van for an hour."

Tony brushed off the apology. "They're good kids."

"Watch out," Eric said. "You're their favourite, 'cause you actually play with them."

"I like it," Tony said with a shrug.

"Make sure you take some time for adult company," his brother-in-law replied. "Here they come again."

Indeed, the nephews were arrowing back for him. They grabbed his hands and began pulling him away from his siblings and in-laws, asking him to come play outside with them, it wasn't raining anymore, and would he take them to the park down the street? He grinned at the people he was leaving behind, and let them drag him to the foyer. He put his shoes and coat on, then followed the three boys out to the backyard, where some of his other nieces, nephews, and second cousins were playing. In short order, he found himself giving piggyback rides, swinging children in the air, pushing the smaller ones on the backyard swing set, pretending to anchor in a game of tug-of-war, and laughing when they all pinned him to the ground after he fell in the wet grass. It was so easy to forget all the pain and anger that he saw on a daily basis when surrounded by the innocence of children.

He was soaking wet, for he had allowed them to keep him on the ground for some time, and had one child under each arm in a silly game of keep-away, when he caught sight of someone on the back porch. It was little more than a glimpse, because he was spinning around at the time, but it was enough. He would know that figure anywhere. The good cheer brought on by playing with the children slipped away from him like water, though he tried to hold on to it. The children didn't notice right away, but as he slowed down his movements, and set his two captives on the ground, they quieted. Some of the older ones saw the woman on the porch, and drew away from Tony, looking at him with some confusion. He smiled at them. "Go on," he said gently. "I have to go inside now."

"Aww, do you have to, Unka Tony?" Dylan asked.

Tony ruffled his nephew's hair. "Yeah, Dylan. I do. But I'll be back."

"Let's play tag!" Minuet said, her cheeks flushed with the fresh air. She touched her sister on the back. "You're it!"

_Ah, the resilience of children,_ Tony thought as they all scattered away from Melisande, and she began to chase them. _Nothing really matters to them. If something interrupts them, they can just keep going._ He, on the other hand... He knew he was a mess. His jacket was soaked and covered in grass, as was his hair, he was sure. But part of him didn't care. Even if he'd been in a three-piece suit or a tuxedo, looking completely put together and drop-dead gorgeous (because he knew that with some effort, he could), it wouldn't have mattered. This was not a meeting to look forward to. This was not a meeting that would be bettered by any outward appearances. He turned around and allowed his eyes to take in the woman on the porch.

She didn't look much different. Her hair was shorter, and she had to be using contacts now, for she didn't have glasses, but she wore the same style of clothes she always had, and she hadn't seemed to gain or lose any weight. And there was something else: the expression on her face. That absurd mixture of condescension, anger, and sadness that had become so familiar over their last five months together was firmly in place as he walked across the lawn and up the back steps of the porch. He stood across from her, making no effort to tidy his disheveled appearance. What would be the point?

"Tony," she said.

"Hello, Annette," he replied.


	5. Chapter 5: Kate

Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed! To answer the most posed question, this is both a Tate and not a Tate. There are two endings, one platonic and one romantic. The stories diverge at chapter 8, so we've got a ways to go yet. For now, enjoy!

**Part 5: Kate**

"Kate."

The note of urgency in Rebecca's voice distracted her completely from Natalie's recitation of Tony's fourth-grade performance in the school play. Kate looked up from the potatoes she was slicing. Rebecca stood framed in the kitchen entrance, and Kate didn't imagine the concern on her face.

"Natalie, can you spare Kate? I think it's time we rescued Tony from the kids, and Kate's in a better position to get him inside than I am."

"Of course, Rebecca," Natalie said from the stove. "He's been playing with them for, what, half an hour now? It's time he came in." She sighed. "But when I think about how many times I stood on the porch and called and called, and called–"

Kate looked down at the potatoes she was only half finished cutting up. "I'll take over for you, Kate," Elena said, getting up from the kitchen table where she was sitting with Aunt Lina.

"Thanks, Elena," Kate said. She quickly dried her hands on a towel and took off the apron that was protecting her clothes. She walked towards Rebecca, and they went out of the kitchen and around the corner.

"When did she get here?" Kate whispered.

"I don't know, ten, maybe fifteen minutes ago. I was talking to Stefan, and suddenly Julio was there. I didn't see Annette, though. I think she's outside with Tony."

Kate swore quietly under her breath. She'd been so involved in Natalie's stories and meeting Elena and deflecting all the questions from the women who cycled through the kitchen that she'd almost forgotten that Annette would show up some time. She had a job to do here, and it wasn't to learn about embarrassing episodes from Tony's distant past. "Let's go," she said.

Rebecca quickly took her away from the kitchen towards the back door. She made a quick motion towards the door and was about to walk away again when Kate caught her arm. "That's Tony's coat," she said, nodding to the grass-covered garment that hung from a peg on the wall. "He's inside. Where would he go?"

"If he's been out with the kids? Probably to clean up."

"Show me."

"Come on."

Kate followed her up the stairs directly opposite the back door, and down a narrow hallway. Rebecca seemed to be headed for the door at the very end, but as she passed by an open doorway, she came to an abrupt halt, and Kate almost ran into her. It was easy to see what had caught her attention, though, and slowly Rebecca moved back from the doorway to let Kate through.

It was a spare bedroom, obviously in use by some other member of the DiNozzo clan. Tony sat at the end of the bed, meticulously tying a tie around his neck. His suitcase was open on the bed behind him, and he had changed his clothes. His previous attire was piled on the ground, and even from here, Kate could see that it was fairly wet. His hair was damp but combed and in place. His attention, however, was focused on a spot on the floor in front of him.

He finished tying the tie and raised his head slightly to adjust his collar, and that was when he caught sight of them in the doorway. His head turned, and he smiled.

Kate was horrified. The man sitting in the room was not Tony DiNozzo. He looked like him, and she knew that if he spoke, he would sound like him, but there was no trace of her irreverent friend in his face. He had vanished. What power did this woman have over him to make him disappear like this? She felt fury begin to burn in the pit of her stomach. She had underestimated the depths to which Tony had been hurt, she realized. She had never guessed he would have given so much to a woman that he could be destroyed like this. Because she had never known Tony to get in too deep, she'd simply assumed that his relationship with Annette had been an extended incarnation of his casual flings. That had been a mistake, her mistake, and Tony had paid the price.

She couldn't help him with words. Anything she said would be hollow and ineffectual, and would give him the opportunity to tell her that he was fine when he wasn't. He would have plausible deniability, and if she gave him the opportunity, he would take it. He wouldn't want to let her in, not with whatever wound Annette had opened still gushing inside him. That meant the only option open to her was gesture.

She hadn't lied when she'd said she was uncomfortable with public displays of affection. Her family hadn't been very physical, and her Secret Service training had taught her to be wary of any contact as preparation for attack. But Damien had taught her to accept and communicate with touch, and she still remembered what that was like. As she'd decoyed for Damien, now she was decoying for Tony. She knew what she needed to do. Even if Rebecca hadn't been present, she knew there was only one course of action.

All these realizations took the space of an instant to form in her head, and then she was slowly crossing the room towards him. He watched her approach, his hands still laying his collar back down. She stopped in front of him, keeping her eyes focused on his. He sat back a little to keep her in sight, and she stepped forward again, until she was standing between his knees. Then she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder, and pulled him forward. From here, she was exactly the right height. He turned his head into her shoulder as she tucked it perfectly under her chin, and his arms came around her waist and pulled her the last step between them as she put her arms around him. He sighed, and she felt the heat of his breath through the weave of her shirt. She tightened her grip on him, one hand threading up into the cool damp hair at the back of his neck, and closed her eyes.

She held him, and the tension that she felt in his shoulders and neck began to ease slightly. She would have kept holding him, too, but after less time than she would have liked, he said quietly, "Rebecca's gone, Kate."

Well, she'd said she would follow his lead; she couldn't very well go back on that now. She pulled back from him. He looked up at her, and smiled. She covered her worry by fixing his hair with a couple of gentle swipes with her fingers, then sat down next to him on the bed. "What's with the noose, DiNozzo?" she asked. "Never thought I'd see you willingly put one of them on."

"Mama likes to have family pictures taken at these things," he said. "And she insists we all look nice for them."

"Thrilling." There was silence for a moment. "I think I've got your mom convinced. Aunt Lina, too."

He nodded. "Thanks, Kate." Something seemed to occur to him, because he actually turned his head and looked at her. There was a bit more life in his eyes. "She hasn't shown you any photo albums, has she?"

Kate stared at him. "No, not yet. Why?"

"Promise me you won't look at any, okay?"

"Why?"

Ah, there he was again, a hint of the man she recognized around the mouth. "Because if you do, I'm going to have to see pictures of you dressed as a teddy bear for Hallowe'en."

She grinned. "You went as a teddy bear? When?"

"I was three. Come on, Kate, promise."

"What kind of girlfriend doesn't want to see pictures? I don't think that'll work with the cover, Tony."

"Then I'll just have to pay a visit to your parents and raid their photo albums. I'm sure everyone would love to see you taking a bath as a baby."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Next of kin information's in your personnel record. I've got a friend down there–"

"I'll tell my parents you're not my boyfriend."

"Will they believe you when I show them pictures from this weekend? Mom always takes a bunch and sends them to me."

"Don't even try it, DiNozzo!"

"Hey, fair's fair, Kate. Unless you manage not to see any of my mom's pictures."

Kate frowned, but she was too relieved to hear him teasing her to really make much of a fuss. "All right, fine," she said. "You know what you're depriving me of here."

"Oh, believe me, I know better than you do," he answered.

"I guess I'll just have to make do with your mom's stories, then."

The victorious expression fell away from his face. "Why?" he asked, suddenly wary. "What did she tell you?"

Kate stood up, smiled at him mysteriously, and went to pick up his wet clothes. "Where's the dryer?" she asked. "If we put these in now, they'll be done before we have to leave."

"Kate, what has she told you?"

"Nothing important, Tony. Come on, where's the laundry room?"

"I can do my own laundry, Kate, now tell me what she said."

"Well, if you're not going to be helpful, I'll just have to ask Natalie."

"Kate–" But he was smiling, enjoying the game, as she turned and left the bedroom. She heard him rise quickly, close his suitcase, and come tromping after her as she started down the stairs. "Kate, come on, it's only fair that I tell you my side of the story."

"I don't think there's anything you can say that will redeem you in some of them, Tony," she shot over her shoulder.

"She didn't tell you about Disneyland..."

Kate turned around when she reached the main floor and watched him navigate the rest of the staircase. "No," she said, "she didn't. What's this about Disneyland?"

"Nothing," he said, putting his suitcase down close to where his coat hung. "Give me those." He made a grab for his wet clothes.

She held them away. "Disneyland," she said.

"This is not a negotiation," he replied, reaching for them again and driving her back a step to keep them out of reach.

"Disneyland, Tony. You can't just drop something like that into a conversation and expect me to leave it there."

"Yes, I can, and yes, I do. Now give me my clothes."

He reached for them again, and Kate pulled them away, but they were interrupted by the sound of a floorboard creaking. Kate immediately turned her spin to drop into a ready crouch, dropping the clothes to the floor and reaching for the gun she wasn't wearing. She saw Tony do the same in her peripheral, and part of her laughed at their ingrained response. Slightly embarrassed, she straightened and turned her attention to the woman who had interrupted them.

Kate didn't recognize her, so they hadn't been introduced yet. Then, as she examined her a little more closely, she realized that they didn't need to be. The tension that had settled over the hallway was introduction enough. She was tall, as tall as Tony, with shoulder-length auburn hair that was loose around her face. Her posture was straight, speaking of good physical condition. Her features were regular, but she would have been much prettier if she hadn't been struggling with her expression.

She cleared her throat. "You must be Kate," she said. "I'm Annette DiNozzo."

Kate stepped forward and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you," she lied. "Kate Todd."

The moment their hands met, Kate knew why Annette seemed to be having trouble with her expression. It came as a surprise that Annette would be looking for a knuckle-grinding grip, but then she realized that the woman was searching for some advantage. Kate was an unknown element in the tidy equation of this day, and Annette wasn't the type of woman who allowed unknown elements to control her without trying to control them back. Kate kept her smile from turning vicious as she deftly avoided Annette's desired grip. Didn't like being off-balance, did she? Well, Kate had a little something to say about that.

Frustrated in her efforts, Annette released Kate's hand. "Well," she said, "I was just on my way to the bathroom, so..."

"Of course," Kate replied, and stepped back, into Tony. Excellent. She leaned back against him, and his arms came around her almost automatically. She kept her gaze on Annette. Something flickered in her eyes. _How do you like that?_ Kate thought, remembering to control her smile. "We'll talk again later," she added.

Annette didn't disappoint. She twitched slightly. "Of course," she said. Then her smile took on an edge. "I'm sure we have a lot to talk about."

Tony tensed against her as the shot went home, but she couldn't have defended against it if she'd tried. "I'm sure we do," she said as she covered one of Tony's hands with hers. Some of her anger escaped to colour her tone.

Annette looked at her closely, but declined further comment. "Well, see you, then."

"Bye," Kate replied, and then she'd skirted around them and headed up the stairs.

Kate watched her go, tightening her fingers around Tony's hand. Once Annette had disappeared down the hall and she'd heard a door open and close, she pulled away from him. The deadness had reappeared in his expression again, and she felt her anger harden inside her. Gently, she tapped him in the stomach with her fist. "Don't worry, DiNozzo," she said quietly. "I can take her."

His smile was strained, but it did shine down on her. "Yeah," he said with equal softness. "She's no match for you." He shook himself a little. "Come on. Let's get my clothes in the dryer before people wonder where we are."


	6. Chapter 6: Tony

Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews! They mean a lot! Y'all are going to kill me for the way this chapter ends... I promise to update next week...

**Part 6: Tony**

Part of Tony hated the way Kate, Rebecca, and Mario made sure one of them was always next to him. It seemed so blatantly obvious, though perhaps that was because he was a cop, and was trained to look for such things. They cycled in and out of his company, providing a buffer between him and those who would make him uncomfortable. And there were a lot. He loved his family, but as a whole, the DiNozzos were cursed with cats' curiousity. He said a lot about Kate, dissembled cleverly about his work, and endured countless sidelong glances and searching looks, which Kate, Mario, or Rebecca would quickly put a stop to by engaging the source of said looks in conversation.

Oh yes, part of him hated it, but it was a very small part. The greater part of him was grateful for they way they kept the pressure low, or as low as he could conceivably expect it to be.

He should have expected Rebecca and Mario to help him. After all, they were the ones who had endured the first month after the final blowout, before he'd learned to bury the anger and hurt behind a facsimile of his regular good mood. He'd spent that month in their spare bedroom; Mario hadn't taken no for an answer, especially when he found out that Tony had insisted on Annette keeping the apartment. It hadn't mattered, in the end; Tony had gone to Baltimore when the job had come along. But in that month, he'd grown closer to his brother and sister-in-law than he would have ever expected, given the circumstances.

As for Kate, well, she was looking at this as work, and she was doing a damn fine job, too. Part of him was amazed at the ease with which she inserted herself into his family. She really was good at this sort of thing.

Between the three of them, they had successfully encircled Tony in a wall of caring and goodwill. They were sitting down to dinner now, and he had only been alone with Annette for those five minutes out on the porch, and had yet to exchange more than curt hellos with Julio. And it was okay. Oh, it was hard, no mistake. He couldn't look at Annette without remembering something, good or bad, but he wasn't falling to pieces.

And, he had to admit, he took a perverse pleasure in seeing her so off-balance. It was petty, he knew, and completely below him. Well, maybe not completely. But oh, he did so enjoy the way Kate's presence seemed to annoy her.

He guided Kate to the dining room table with a hand placed gently in the small of her back, and didn't miss the glare Annette sent their way, though he was careful not to look directly at her. Kate was chatting amiably with Rebecca, and hardly paused when he pulled out her chair for her. She glanced up at him, though, and he smiled at her. There was another part of him that like putting Kate off balance, too.

She sat down, and he sat down next to her. Rebecca and Mario took seats to Kate's right, and Rafe threw himself into the chair on Tony's left after handing Lisa into hers. It didn't really surprise him that Annette and Julio ended up across the table from them. Kate's leg pressed against his, and he knew she'd noticed the seating arrangement, even though she was still talking with Rebecca. Didn't miss much, this woman.

Tony's father cut off Rafe's tirade about "The State Of The World" by clearing his throat and extending his hands to the people on either side of him at the head of the table. Immediately, talk stopped and they all joined hands. Kate seemed to hesitate briefly, but then her strong fingers wrapped around his, and she too bowed her head slightly for Grace.

"Heavenly Father," his father intoned, "we'd like to ask Your blessing on our gathering here today. Thank You for seeing to it that so much of our family could be here with us to celebrate our anniversary. Bless and keep each one of us as we give thanks for Your many gifts. Lord, we'd like to thank You for the children who have been added to our family: Mitchell, Rose, and Duncan. We'd also like to thank You for the other additions: Annette, and Kate." Kate's hand twitched, and he gripped it tighter. His jaw clenched a little. It wasn't right, the two of them in the same sentence... "Continue to bless our marriage, and the marriages and relationships of our children and relations. Bless this house, and bless this food to our bodies. For these gifts we give thanks to You, in Jesus' name."

"Amen," Tony murmured, along with all the others at the table. They released hands, and as his mother invited everyone to dig in, he turned to Kate. She was looking at him, and not even her impressive self-control could keep him from reading her discomfort. Underneath the table, he found her hand again. Her fingers laced through his and held on. Something else began to glow in her eyes: worry. _No, Kate,_ he thought. _It's all right._ He moistened his lips slightly, and leaned towards her.

She turned her head enough so that he caught her cheek, but that was okay. The kiss hadn't been meant as a romantic gesture, but one of comfort and affection, to emphasize her belonging here. It was half put-on show for the others at the table, but half just for her. He felt her cheeks heat slightly before he pulled back, and he saw her face was delicately coloured pink. He couldn't help smiling broadly and leaning in again. "You know," he whispered in her ear, "you look really sweet when you're blushing."

"Oh for God's sake, Tony," she hissed, but that didn't stop her cheeks from turning even pinker, or a smile from appearing on her face. She dropped his hand and reached for the bowl of potatoes in front of her, handing it to him. "Here," she said. "Do something else with your mouth."

"You've been told," Rafe chuckled.

"I have," Tony agreed, putting a couple potatoes on his plate before giving the bowl to his brother.

"Then again, she didn't specify exactly what you should do with your mouth."

"Good point." He turned back to Kate, grinning.

She'd been listening, of course. "Eat," she ordered. "I'll let you know if I want you to do anything else."

"When?"

"Later."

Oh, there was that tone. He sketched a brief restricted bow and turned back to Rafe. "I just can't get away with anything around her," he said piteously.

"I know the feeling, man. Hey!" he said as his wife pinched his arm. He laughed and kissed her cheek in much the same way as Tony had Kate. "You know I love your keeping me in line."

"Pass the potatoes, Rafe," she replied. "You're holding everyone up."

Eating didn't interfere with conversation at the DiNozzo table, and there was a pleasant buzz of talk around them as they ate. Tony spoke mostly to Rafe and Lisa. Occasionally, as he looked around the table, he caught Annette or Julio looking at him, but he tried not to think about it. He was just listening when he felt Kate shift beside him, then heard her say, "Julio, could you please pass the bread?"

His cousin picked up the breadbasket in front of him and handed it across the table to her. "Here you are, Kate," he said. Then he smiled disarmingly. "How are you enjoying the meal?"

"Very much," Kate said, taking a slice from the basket and handing it back to him.

"Good. Hey, I've been meaning to ask you–" both Kate and Tony looked up sharply, "–how'd you meet my cousin here?"

Tony stiffened. Julio was sniffing around, looking for something to use. His hands occupied with his knife and fork, he nudged Kate's foot with his.

"He tried to hijack a plane that I was on," Kate said, putting her foot on top of his.

Tony laughed. "I'd almost forgotten that," he said as Julio stared at them.

Kate grinned at him, then turned back to his cousin. "After that, I started working at NCIS. I've been there for just over a year."

"Really," Julio said, recovering. "Were you a police officer as well?"

"No," Kate answered. "A little more specialized."

"Kate got to shoot first and ask questions later," Tony supplied. "License to kill. Shaken, not stirred."

"Tony," Kate admonished, shaking her head at him. He looked at her innocently. "I was in the Secret Service, President's detail," she told Julio, and the other people around them who had dropped their own conversations in favour of listening to this one.

"Secret Service! Really?"

_No, she just goes around telling people that for fun,_ Tony thought.

"Isn't NCIS a step down, then?" Annette asked, her tone too casual to be real.

Tony twitched, ready to snap out an automatic response, but Kate's foot pressed down harder on his. "Not really," she said evenly. "The way I look at it, I was protecting the security of one person with the Secret Service, but at NCIS, I'm protecting the entire Armed Forces, and so protecting everyone in the country. Can't see that as a step down."

"But still, to go from protecting the President to sniffing out criminals in the military–"

"It was a lot of standing around, and sitting on planes," Kate interrupted. "Now I actually get out and do something during the day."

Annette settled back, but Tony saw her mouth twitch upwards. _Damn. She thinks she's scored a hit,_ he thought. _Hell, she probably has, on both of us._

But Kate wasn't done. "After all," she said, and Tony recognized a hard note in her voice, "I think it's a better way to end a year saying, 'I helped foil three terrorist attacks,' than 'I got to ride Air Force One twelve times.'" She turned to Tony. "It was three this year, wasn't it? I've lost count."

_Oh, you're beautiful, Kate Todd._ "Foreign, or domestic?" he asked. "And do we count the weapons busts?"

She waved her hand and smiled at him. Her eyes flashed. "Now you're just getting complicated, Tony."

"Sorry, darling," he said, catching the hand and bringing it quickly to his lips. "You'll have to set down the rules if we're going to keep score."

"I knew you were lying!" Rafe crowed. "Come on, Tony, spill. Tell us something exciting."

"Sorry, Rafe," Tony said, "national security. Can't say anything unless you've got a C-level clearance." He was making it up, but no one at the table would know that but Kate.

"You're no fun at all. Well, I for one sleep better knowing there's a DiNozzo working to keep us all safe." Rafe raised his glass and inclined his head towards Tony, who raised his own glass. "Neither rain, nor snow, nor dark of night–"

"That's the Postal Service, Rafe," Tony said.

"Is it? Oh. Well, never mind, then. I'm sure NCIS has an equally catchy slogan."

Used to his brother's teasing, Tony simply accepted the toast with a grin and took a sip of wine. "Oh yeah," he said. "'What Gibbs says, goes.'" Kate gave him a slight push as she set her glass back on the table, and he laughed as she quickly swallowed.

"Who's Gibbs?" Annette asked.

"Our boss," Kate said, glaring with little heat in Tony's direction. He gave her another innocent look.

"Ah. And what does he say about the two of you?"

"He says that we're good agents," Kate said. Tony felt her defenses go up again. He put his hand on the back of her chair.

"No, I mean, about your relationship."

Luckily, this was one point that they'd worked out in the car. "We keep details on a need-to-know basis," he answered, moving his hand from the chair to rub her back. "It's nobody's business but ours, is it, Kate?"

She nodded, and added, "And we have a deal. If it goes down, the job comes first, not the other person."

"Hasn't come to that," Tony said, not having to feign all the seriousness in his tone.

"Not yet," Kate said softly.

_Boom. Nuclear powered conversation killer._ And it worked too. No one seemed to want to follow that topic any further. After a moment of discomfort, Rafe asked them if they thought Britney Spears was a threat to national security, and then launched into a tirade on the state of pop music, which of course was a topic near and dear to his heart as a nightclub owner. Tony relaxed back in his chair with his wine glass, having finished eating. Surreptitiously, he examined his adversaries across the table. He was... confused. He'd known that Julio would look for ways to belittle him. He and his cousin had a history stemming back to when they were eight, when they'd fought over the last Creamsicle at the corner store and Tony had won. But it was weirdly juvenile of Annette to try and find chinks in his armour. She knew how to make him mad, and he knew she was trying, but not even at their worst had she tried to take him down like she'd tried to take Kate down. What had happened to her? She used to be so… positive. She'd married Julio, he supposed, started dating him less than a year after the breakup. Could such a change happen in only five years?

She wasn't the same woman, he realized. She was quite different, in fact almost fundamentally opposite, from the woman he'd loved. Some of the ache in his heart shifted tenor. It still hurt, but not as much. He shouldn't have avoided this meeting for as long as he had. He had been clinging to a memory, allowing a person who no longer existed to hold sway over him and colour his life.

And she didn't exist. He watched her, using all the tricks he'd learned in law enforcement to keep her from noticing. She spoke to her husband and those around her, but mostly she ate delicately and watched him. No, not him. She was watching Kate.

_You can't be happy for me,_ Tony thought incredulously. _You went and got married, and have had this hold on me for years, and you can't bear the thought of me being happy. I still have to be yours, even after everything that was said between us. And Kate's a threat to that._

She wasn't, really, but only he and Kate knew that. It was so unbelievably illogical, so completely out of character for the woman that he thought he knew, that for a good ten minutes, he watched her even closer, convinced that he had to be mistaken. But every half-suppressed look of dislike, every frown whenever Kate laughed at something someone said, every flash of her eyes when Kate looked at him, was more evidence that Annette had become someone he would have never thought it possible for her to become.

So when Kate got up to help clear away the dishes before dessert, and Annette quickly followed suit, Tony thought, _She's going to do something. I don't know what, but she is. I need to warn Kate._ But Rafe had engaged him once again in conversation, and before he could extract himself from it with an excuse of needing to use the bathroom before dessert, both Kate and Annette had disappeared into the kitchen with his mother and several other ladies. He left the dining room in the opposite direction, to make his story stand up, then stepped quickly down the hallway towards the kitchen, hoping to catch Kate on her way back to the table. He stopped, though, when he heard quiet voices around the corner. Two voices, female. Kate and Annette. He leaned against the wall and whispered a curse under his breath. He was too late.


	7. Chapter 7: Kate

Author's note: I couldn't do it. So many requests... I gave in. Enjoy! The story diverges after this chapter: one romantic, and one platonic. I'm still figuring out how to post the different endings. You are all wonderful.

**Part 7: Kate**

"You're not really dating him, are you?"

Kate was on her way back to the table with a stack of dessert plates when Annette's quiet, controlled voice behind her brought her to a halt. She hadn't missed the way Annette had focused on her during dinner, but the statement was completely out of left field. Granted, it was the truth, but she'd thought she and Tony had done an excellent job of maintaining their cover. Where had they slipped up? But she controlled herself, and turned to face Annette with a confused expression on her face. "What?"

"You're not really dating him," Annette said again, her voice pitched low to avoid carrying into the kitchen or the dining room. She stood in the dimness of the hallway, arms crossed over her chest, with a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "You might be sleeping together, but it's obvious you don't know him at all."

Suddenly Kate's anger, contained through dinner, boiled up again. She and Tony hadn't slipped up. Annette was just looking for some other way to gain advantage. She was used to being the alpha female. Well, so was Kate, and she fought the urge to bare her teeth as she replied. "Why do you think that?"

Annette sniffed condescendingly, and slowly walked forward, her superior attitude evident in every step. "I know him, Kate," she said. "I was with him for three years. He's vain, egotistical, sarcastic, deceitful, and he cares more about his job than he does about people. That's what drove me crazy, and that's what would drive you crazy too. I might not know you, but I read people well. You're a lot like me. So there's no way you can really be dating him." She came to a stop close to Kate, and used her height advantage to look down at her with infinite pity.

Kate wanted to throw the plates down on the ground and grab the woman by the shirt. Her fingers were tight on the stoneware, and they shook slightly. She thought about controlling her rage, but decided against it. It was high time someone took this woman down a couple of notches. She took a step forward, a quick step that contained all her training and all the threat she could muster. Annette stepped back, her arms dropping to her sides, and her expression became more uncertain. Kate grinned at the sight, and she knew it looked as wild and deadly as it felt, because as she spoke, Annette's attitude fell further and further from its lofty heights. "Let me tell you something, Annette. You're right about Tony. He can be sarcastic, and vain, and egotistical. He is in a place in his life where he knows what he wants, and isn't afraid to court other people's displeasure to get it. He lives life the way he chooses, and if you think that makes him egotistical and vain, well, then that's your problem, not his. But you're wrong about the rest. He has never been deceitful, and he doesn't care about the job more than anything else. He has never lied to me, and believe me, I would know if he did. And I know that, no matter what, he'll have my back no matter how bad the situation gets, because he cares about me. Do you think it's easy doing what we do? Do you think he doesn't get nightmares from it?"

She had to pause to rein herself in again, before her voice rose any further. She took another step forward, and Annette took two back. "Maybe you're right about me, too," she continued in a softer, more dangerous tone. "Maybe I am like you, in some ways. But in one very important way, we're complete opposites. You hate Tony for who he is, but me, I love him for it." She took one final step, and Annette retreated again, bumping into the wall and staring at Kate with no small amount of fear. _Forgot I was Secret Service, did you? You're remembering now._ "Calm down; I'm not going to hurt you. You're not worth the effort. But I will, if you don't stay away from Tony. You, and your husband. If you don't, you'll answer to me." She narrowed her eyes, and despite the four-inch difference in height between them, Annette seemed to shrink before her. "I think you know what that means. Make sure you don't give me reason to follow through." Then she spun on her heel and walked away.

She returned to the dining room and put the plates down on one corner of the table. They clattered together at the force she applied, and she didn't fail to notice the sudden lull in conversation that followed the sound. She left then, returning to the foyer and stepping into her shoes without bothering to tie them up. She found her jacket in the mess in the hall closet, and shrugged into it as she opened the front door. It slammed back on its hinges as she went out onto the porch, and the dark cool air of the October evening surrounded her. She paced up and down the porch a couple of times, then threw herself into the bench swing, folding her arms over her chest and setting the swing in motion with a forceful push of her legs.

_Great work, Kate,_ she thought. _Way to lose control. What are they going to think of you now?_ But she couldn't help it. She was angry, angrier than she'd been in a long time. Tony was too good a man to take that kind of abuse from a shallow, self-absorbed, mean-spirited, conniving... She felt her lips threaten to pull back from her teeth, but stopped the expression stillborn. She kicked the porch again and made the swing go faster.

The door opened, and she looked up immediately. "I don't think it's meant to go that high," Tony said, holding up his hands in surrender. "But there's a playground down the block with some old swings, if you want to go."

"No," Kate said, but she took his implied advice and stopped the wild swinging. Keeping her feet on the ground, she set a more sedate pace. Tony shut the door gently and walked across the porch. He sat down next to her, putting his arm over her shoulders. "Are we being watched?" she asked.

"Hell, yes," he said. "Do you know how many people saw you storm out here?"

Kate sighed and looked away from him. "Give me a minute, and I'll go in and apologise," she said.

"You don't need to do that." After a moment, he said, "You know, when I asked you to do this, I didn't think you'd have to really lie."

She looked back at him, but his gaze was tied to his feet on the ground. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I appreciate everything you said to Annette, Kate–"

"You heard that?"

That bought her a glance before he returned to staring at his shoes. "Yeah," he said. "You know, you're really good at this decoy girlfriend stuff. I almost believed you."

"Everything I said was true, Tony," Kate said.

He seemed to flinch. "All of it?" he asked quietly.

She knew what was bothering him. She drew one foot up onto the swing and wrapped her arms around it, leaning her chin on her knee. "All of it," she said. "You're my friend, Tony, and even though we argue and tease each other mercilessly and get on each other's nerves and never say it, yes, I do love you. Just like you love me."

His head whipped up. "I never–"

"You're not listening, DiNozzo. We never say it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's just one of those things between friends." She turned her head on her knee to look at him. "Can you imagine the words 'I love you guys,' coming out of Gibbs' mouth?"

He froze for a second, and then a faint smile appeared on his face. "I think the world just ended. Gibbs'd never say that."

"And yet, he does love us," Kate said. "You know he does." He nodded silently. "I just said it out loud to Annette, and let her assume a further context."

After a moment's contemplation, he said, "You're a good friend, Kate."

"Thanks for noticing. Are we still being watched?"

"Are you kidding?" He grinned at her.

"Good." She unfolded from her protective position and snuggled closer to him. His arm around her shoulders tightened, and his other hand came to rest on her waist as she put her legs over his lap. He looked into her face with no trace of fear or question. "Are you going to work on my aversion to public displays of affection or not?"

He grinned, and suddenly the Tony she knew was back, in all his irreverent, teasing glory. "Of course," he said. "You know, Kate, you only had to ask."

"So I'm asking."

"Fine then."

"All right."

"Say please."

"For heaven's sake, DiNozzo–"

When he let her catch her breath again, she really wanted to pretend he wasn't an absolutely fabulous kisser. Indeed, if it had been any other time, if he hadn't just spent the last three days in emotional turmoil, she might (and that was a big might) have been able to put her own reactions aside and pull it off. But his renewed self-confidence was so welcome after days of insecurity that she just didn't want to. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Don't get too comfy. We have to go inside for dessert."

"Do we have to?"

"Why, wanna sit here and make out some more?"

She snorted, but shifted closer to him. "It was kinda nice."

"Kinda nice?"

She looked up, laughed at his outraged expression, then broke through his embrace and jumped off the swing. Her untied shoes were a detriment to her speed, however, because before she'd reached the front door, he'd caught up to her, grabbed her by the arm, spun her around and into him, and planted on her the kind of kiss that steamed up car windows. When he let her go, she stumbled backwards, but he didn't let her fall, keeping his hands on her arms. "Kinda nice," he muttered good-naturedly. "I'll show you kinda nice, Caitlyn Todd."

Kate took a moment to reply; she was too busy remembering to breathe. "Consider me shown, Anthony DiNozzo," she said finally. "Although I think you just spoiled my dessert." He grinned at her. "And after I helped your mother bake the pies, too. What's she going to think when I don't eat any?" Struck by a sudden thought, she said, "Tell me she didn't see any of this."

"Mama?" he said, turning her around and steering her to the door. "Probably."

She covered her eyes with her hand, feeling herself blush. "Oh, God. I traded saliva with you in front of your mom."

"And probably my father. And definitely my brothers and my sister. And in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles..."

She threw her hands in the air. "See, this is why I hate public displays of affection! Goddamnit, DiNozzo, you'd better appreciate everything I'm willing to do for you."

He reached out to stop her from opening the door. "I do, Kate. Believe me, I do," he said soberly.

She looked back at him, and she could see that he really did. She nodded, and smiled. "All right, then," she said. "You will owe me big for this weekend."

"Just give me a time and place, Kate," he said. "I'll be there."

She knew she'd never collect. He probably knew it too. But that didn't really matter. The words allowed them to pretend that her actions weren't completely selfless, and that they suddenly weren't as close as they now were. She nodded. "All right," she said again. "Let's go have dessert. I'll just... not look anyone in the eye, that's all."

He laughed. So did she.


	8. Chapter 8: Tony Platonic

Author's Note: THIS IS THE PLATONIC VERSION OF THE STORY. The story diverges from this point! Chapter 8 (Romantic) is also posted. Thanks again for all the feedback, everyone! Now, enjoy!

**Part 8: Tony**

"Kate. Kate!" She ignored him, still wrapped up in saying goodbye to his mother. Tony turned to his father. "How long have we been standing here?" he asked.

"Ten minutes, give or take," his father replied with a shrug. "It's not bad, you know. I've had to wait for your mother for an hour, sometimes."

"Can't they just... you know, say goodbye?"

"It's not in their genes, son. Get used to it."

Tony sighed and leaned against the closed front door. "Mario and Rebecca got out of here faster than this, and they have two kids," he said.

"Be grateful that she gets along with us so well, Tony." His father turned to look at Kate, then back at him. "I like her. She's got spark."

"That she does," Tony agreed. "She's threatened to shoot me a few times."

"Before or after you started seeing her?"

Tony grinned. "Both," he said. He was definitely getting used to this back-story; it came easily now.

His father laughed. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Ah, now, here she is," he said as Kate bid her final goodbye and came towards them. He stepped forward and took her hands in his. "Kate, it was good to meet you."

"You too, Stefan. Happy anniversary," she said. She accepted the kiss on the cheek he gave her, and smiled at him.

"You take care of this son of mine." He glanced over his shoulder. "I give you permission to shoot him, but try to make sure no one else does."

"Papa," Tony said as Kate laughed.

"I'll try. Thank you for a lovely day."

"We'll see you soon, Kate. Safe trip."

Kate turned around and waved again as Tony put his retrieved suitcase in the trunk of the car, but then she walked briskly to the passenger's side and got in. As Tony pulled out onto the deserted road, she breathed deeply and leaned back in her seat. "You've got a great family, Tony," she said wistfully.

"They liked you too," he replied. "Well, with a couple of notable exceptions."

"They left rather quickly after dessert, didn't they?"

Tony couldn't help but smile at the satisfied tone of her voice. "I think you put the fear of God into her."

"Or something," she said. "Are you okay, Tony? I mean, really okay?"

"Yeah, actually," he said. "I am, for the most part. She wasn't the person I remembered. If she had been, you and I would be having a completely different conversation."

"I wondered what you saw in her."

"She wasn't like that before. She was..." He trailed off. "Do you want to hear this?"

She turned in her seat so she was facing him, even though he couldn't look at her and drive at the same time. "Yes, I do, if you want to tell me."

Did he want to tell her? "She was something else, Kate, she really was. She was positive without being naïve. I drew on that a lot while we were together. You know how it gets sometimes, when we come off a bad case and nothing seems right. I would come home, and she would be there, and I wouldn't have to tell her what had gone on. I didn't want to anyway. But she would tell me about her day, which was always happier than mine, and maybe we'd order pizza and sit on the couch and watch some silly film together, and suddenly all would be right with the world. She had this huge heart; I sometimes wondered how she could fit everyone into it without bursting. She cared so much for everyone she met."

"She's changed, then," Kate said quietly.

"Yeah," he answered. "Yeah, she has."

He didn't say any more, and neither did she, so they made the rest of the short drive to Mario and Rebecca's in silence. He pulled up into their driveway and parked the car. But as Kate reached for the door handle, he touched her arm. She turned back to him. "Kate, we can tell Mario and Rebecca the truth, if you want."

She tipped her head at him. "Why?" she asked.

He shrugged. "If you're not comfortable keeping it up–"

"Tony," she said. "It's just gotten easy."

He smiled. "I know."

She leaned back in her seat thoughtfully. "Besides," she said, "who knows how many family dinners this will be able to get you through? I mean, eventually you'll have to tell them we split up, but if you tell them I had to go to my parents' for Easter, or what have you, you could keep your mom and aunts off your back. Mostly. They'll still want to know when the wedding will be, but you can blame the uncertainty on me." She grinned. "I have commitment issues."

"Heaven forbid," he joked.

"If we blow our cover now, even if it is just Mario and Rebecca, there are that many more chances someone will let it slip. Not that I think they would, but..."

"Good point."

"And besides, what kind of practice would we be getting if we decide to stop after less than twelve hours?"

"All right, Kate, all right!" he said. "We'll just keep playing it."

"Tony." He turned back to her. She was looking at him intently, face half-shadowed in the light cast by the porch lamp. "I appreciate the offer."

"Just bein' a gentleman," he said.

"Yeah. Stop doing that. It's really throwing me off."

Tony grinned at her, but a change in the light drew his attention outside the car. Mario had opened the back door, and stood on the stoop, saying something. Tony rolled down his window. "What?"

"I said, you can stay in your car if you like, but the neighbours might talk."

"All right, we're coming."

They made short work of getting their suitcases inside. Mario took their jackets and hung them in the closet. "Rebecca's putting the girls to bed," he said. "But could I trouble you not to keep her up too late? She gets tired pretty quickly these days."

"These days?" Tony repeated, looking up sharply at his brother's tone of voice. Something stirred in the pit of his stomach. "Why these days? What's different about these days?"

"Nothing," Mario said.

_Too quick,_ Tony thought. _He answered that way too quickly._ "Something at work?" he asked, grabbing his suitcase and following Mario to the kitchen.

"No."

"Is she sick?"

"No, Tony–"

"Are Mel and Min okay?"

"Yes, it's not... Look, I misspoke, okay? Get you something to drink?"

Tony ignored the offer, focused on his line of questioning. "Are you okay, Mario?"

"Yes, Tony, God!" Mario turned and pulled four tumblers out of the cupboard. "Water okay with you, Kate?"

"That's fine. Tony–"

He felt her hand on his shoulder, but shrugged her off. His concern moved him forward to lean across the breakfast bar until his face was inches from his brother's. "What's wrong, Mario?"

"Nothing," came a soft voice from behind him. He turned around to see Rebecca leaning on the doorframe, amused affection on her face.

"Then why doesn't Mario want you staying up late?" he asked, a little more briskly than he perhaps wanted to.

Rebecca glanced behind him at her husband, then back to him. "Because he's a worrywart," she said simply. "I'm pregnant, not terminally ill."

Tony froze. "Pregnant?" he echoed, staring at her.

She nodded, smiling. "Eight weeks," she said.

Silence hung over the kitchen. Then Kate said, "Um, so, I'm not sure. Should I be saying congratulations, or I'm sorry? I just can't tell."

That broke Tony from his stupor. He laughed, and dashed across the kitchen to his sister-in-law, who left the doorway to meet him. He swung her up and around in his arms, and then set her down again. "Pregnant! Geez, Mario had me thinking cancer or something."

"Nothing so dire, dear," she laughed, patting his cheek. "But can you keep it under your hat for a while? You're the first one we've told, and we want to wait a bit longer before we tell anyone else."

"Well, yeah, of course! But..." He looked at her curiously. "Then why tell me now?"

"Because we want to ask you something, Tony," she said seriously.

"Sweetie–" Mario said, but she cut him off.

"I can't ask this over the phone, Mario. You know that."

Tony looked at his brother, who subsided, albeit a little reluctantly, at his wife's insistence. Then he turned back to Rebecca. She looked at him earnestly. "We don't want your answer now, Tony, and don't think you have to if you really feel you don't want to. But we want you to think about being our baby's godfather."

Tony stared at her, then at his brother who nodded agreement, his shock even deeper than before. "Me?" he asked incredulously. "Oh, God, guys, I don't know–"

"Think about it, Tony," she said, putting her hands on his shoulders. "We really don't want your answer now."

"But..." he said, "I can't be a role model, especially spiritually–"

"You underestimate yourself, Tony," Rebecca said. "We wouldn't have asked you if we didn't think you could do it. You don't have to, but please, just think about it. Okay?"

Her earnestness made him harness the shock and panic that had taken him over. "Okay," he said, forcing his automatic refusal aside. He hugged her tightly again. "Okay. I'll think about it."

"Good," she said, stroking him gently on the back. "Now, let's get you and Kate settled. I do tend to crash pretty quickly these days, and if I left it up to him, I'm sure Mario would send you to bed without pillowcases or towels or something." She pulled back from Tony to smile at her husband, who denied he would ever do such a thing; she had trained him far too well.

Half in a daze, Tony embraced his brother and offered him his congratulations, and listened as Kate did the same. He managed a semblance of normal conversation as they followed Rebecca to the back of the house, and she showed them into the spare bedroom and provided them with all the linens they would need. Then they sat in the living room for a while, talking quietly. Part of him noticed that Kate immediately took a spot near him, leaning against him in such a way as to make him put his arm around her. She was solid and grounding, and her presence drew him from his distraction. He was immediately aware of when Rebecca began to fade, the strain of the day preying on her. He teased her a little, but though she protested that she didn't have to go to bed yet, he insisted that they all call it a night in favour of another visit in the morning. He didn't miss the grateful look his brother gave him. So after bidding good night, they retreated to their respective rooms.

The door to the guest room shut softly behind them, and Tony threw himself face down on the bed. He swore into the pillow several times. The bed tipped slightly to the side as Kate sat down next to him, then her hands were on his shoulders, digging in to the muscles there. "Ouch," he said, looking up slightly.

"Relax," she ordered. "It won't hurt so much."

He sighed in resignation, but clasped his hands under his chin as she continued to massage his back. "What a weekend," he muttered. "Just when I thought Rebecca and Mario were on my side, they do this."

"They are on your side, Tony," she said. "They love you."

"Then why are they doing this to me?" he asked. "Godfather. Jesus! What kind of godfather would I be, tell me that, Kate."

Her hands stopped moving. "I think you'd be a great godfather."

He rolled over and looked up at her. She was dead serious. "You know what I'm like, Kate," he said. "How can you say that? I can't have their kid looking up to me!"

"Why not?" she asked, tipping her head slightly to the side. She began ticking points off on her fingers. "You're in law enforcement. You have a very firm code of ethics. You care about your friends. You have a great sense of humour."

He sat up quickly. "I sleep around. I have commitment issues. I don't go to church and don't actively practice Catholicism. I have problems with authority."

Her hands covered his, stopping him from making any further rebuttals. "Tony, they wouldn't have asked you if they didn't know all that."

"It's 'cause of you," he accused, speaking as the thought came into his head. "They think that I'm settling down. This is all your fault!"

Anger flashed in her eyes, and she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him forward until their faces were inches apart. "Listen, DiNozzo. I'll take a lot from you, but that's over the line. I came out here this weekend to help you. You needed the settling-down pressure taken off of you; I did that. Maybe you didn't need me as much to hold your hand as to be a catalyst with Annette. That's fine; I did that too. But don't you dare think that just because we're playing this role that Mario and Rebecca don't know who you are. Do you really think it was a split-second decision to ask you to be their kid's godfather? Did you even look at them? It wasn't. They planned to ask you before they even knew about me. So you know what? You can take your self-pity and shove it. Don't belittle your family that way, don't belittle me, and don't belittle yourself."

From this close, her annoyance was inescapable and her arguments irrefutable, no matter how much he wanted, almost needed, to do so. But she was right, and he couldn't ignore that. Both Mario and Rebecca were meticulous and organized. Neither one of them was likely to make more than three split-second decisions in their lives. There was no possibility they hadn't discussed asking him to be godfather for days, if not weeks, before actually doing so. They believed in him, and Kate believed in him, despite everything. The only one who didn't was himself, and in an effort to reconcile that, he had belittled them all.

He reached up and covered her hand, still wrinkling the front of his dress shirt, with his. "I'm sorry, Kate," he said. "You're right. I'm sorry."

After a moment, her grip loosened, and she leaned back, averting her eyes. "It's okay, Tony."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She looked up at him and smiled, a little guardedly. "You can just be so dense sometimes, you know. Especially about yourself."

He held up his hands. "Guilty," he conceded. "So we're not going to bed angry then?"

Her smile became much more natural. "No. But that's something else we have to talk about."

"What?"

"Going to bed."

"What about it?"

"You have noticed there's only one bed in this room, right?"

He honestly hadn't, and he was sure she picked up on that. But it was too good an opportunity to pass up. He looked around the room, then back at her. "I see what you mean," he said. "I don't know, Kate. I think I should be worried. After all, you were the one who started this whole thing 'cause you wanted my body."

She smacked his knee lightly with the back of her hand, but that was her only retaliation. "Funny man," she said. "You're the one that chases practically anything with a double X chromosome."

"That's unfair. I haven't chased you."

"Brothers under the uniform, remember?"

"Oh yeah. And certain death. Otherwise I'd be all over you."

She grinned. "Thanks. Now give me some blankets and I'll take the floor."

"No, Kate, let me–"

"Nope." She held up her finger, forestalling his arguments. "I'll take the floor."

"We can share, you know," he said.

"No offense, Tony, but I have trouble sleeping when someone's in the same bed as me. I'd rather be a little stiff than not have slept at all."

"But I can–" he tried one last time, but she gave him her Secret Service Agent look, and he subsided. "All right," he said. "You have the floor."

While she used the bathroom, he laid out a sleeping bag that he found in the closet, sacrificing the fluffiest pillow to her as well. She was already curled up in the makeshift bed by the time he returned from brushing his teeth, and seemed to be half-asleep, because she only mumbled, "Good night, Tony," as he shut off the light. He lay on the bed, looking down at her for a little while. Her breathing quickly evened out in sleep.

The day began to replay itself in his head as he looked at her, with all the ups and downs, surprises and revelations. It had been a long day, he decided, when finally he too was struggling to keep his eyes open. And he was glad Kate had been there with him.


	9. Chapter 8: Tony Romantic

Author's Note: THIS IS THE ROMANTIC VERSION OF THE STORY. The story diverges from this point! Chapter 8 (Platonic) is also posted. Thanks again for all the feedback, everyone! Now, enjoy!

**Part 8: Tony**

Shortly after Mario and Rebecca had married, they'd pooled their considerable savings for a down payment and bought what almost amounted to a mansion. Four bedrooms upstairs, plus a fully developed basement, huge kitchen and family room, gas fireplace, large picture windows, massive backyard, and even (Tony had teased his brother about it for weeks) a small glassed-in sunroom accessible from the house for growing plants. At the time, Tony had thought them insane, and had told them so on many occasions. But three years after they'd bought the place, he'd found himself a guest in it, and he hadn't laughed after that. Even now, with two small children, the house was spacious, organized, and above all, a home.

His favourite spot to sit while he'd been camping out in their guestroom had been the greenhouse. Day, night, it hadn't mattered. Between the two of them, Mario and Rebecca had made the sunroom into an adult haven. Plants were tastefully arranged on multi-level Victorian plant stands, with a workbench for repotting and other tasks set unobtrusively against the house. There was also a park bench set along one glass wall, and a small bistro set took centre stage. Tony had always sat on the park bench, looking around at the greenery, or just listening to the outside world, almost unrecognizably muffled by the panes of glass.

That's where he was now: sitting on the park bench in the dark, the only light coming from the closed glass doorway into the house. Kate was inside with Rebecca, probably helping her put Melisande and Minuet to bed. Mario had had a couple of messages when they'd come back, something to do with volunteering for Mel's kindergarten class. So Tony had quietly put his suitcase in the guestroom, and then come out here.

Why was he here? Was it because of Annette? He'd felt her hold on him diminishing ever since Kate had completely destroyed her. She and Julio had left shortly after dessert. Tony had shaken her hand, and said goodbye. And that had been it. There had been finality in the gesture, and now he was done. He had needed to confront her, should have done it a long time ago, but he wasn't entirely convinced it would have worked alone. It had worked today because Kate had been there.

Kate. He had never truly appreciated her before tonight. He'd known she was a good agent, a quick learner, a caring woman, a beautiful woman, but he wasn't sure he'd ever really seen her before. Good Lord, the things she'd done, things she'd put up with from his family, and from him… Although, she hadn't seemed to mind kissing him. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. _Kinda nice_. He'd shown her. He dwelled on the moment for a while, remembering the way she'd tasted, the way she'd felt against him, even through his jacket, her response…

He shook his head as the memory became a little too real, and he clenched his fists, digging his fingernails into his palms to drive away the pleasant sensations. _That's enough, DiNozzo,_ he thought. _Kate's a coworker. Nothing more._

_Nothing more?_ a rebellious part of his mind countered, and brought back the memory with even more clarity.

Tony shifted on the bench, and he spread his hand over his mouth, trying to press away the remembered feelings. _Think about Gibbs,_ he thought, his mind alighting on the first thing that might cool his reaction. _Think about how he'd kill you if he knew you were thinking this._

It didn't help. Flashes of the evening began to run through his head: Kate holding his hand during Grace; talking to his father about places she'd visited in Italy; impressing his brothers with anecdotes from being on the President's detail; taking ten minutes to say goodbye to his mother as he stood waiting by the door; storming out to the deck after tearing Annette apart. He saw her offering an anniversary toast to his parents when the port glasses had arrived, and helping Elena get her boys into their jackets with patience and good humour, and waving goodbye to his family as they'd pulled out after Mario's car. But always, underlying all the images, was the feeling of her warm against him after Annette had struck him to the bone, her physical presence all throughout dinner, and her lips, warm, strong, responding, in the chill of the autumn night.

_No,_ he thought. _This isn't real. She just helped… repair what Annette broke. That's why I'm reacting this way. That's all. It's not fair to her; she's just the first warm body to come along._ He gave the statement a little time to absorb, to see if it would make any difference. It did, but not in the way he'd expected. More images and thoughts came to him: watching Kate work at her desk after being taken hostage the first time, worrying; making sure, in his own way, that she learned everything she needed to know about the details of a case; brainstorming sessions over dinner where they talked about Gibbs and his obsessions. He pushed his fingers roughly into his hair and leaned over, elbows on his thighs, trying desperately to find defenses against what his brain was telling him. But there weren't any. She wasn't just a warm body. There was groundwork here, threads of feeling and relationship that had been forming without his knowledge, just waiting for him to let go of Annette to come to the forefront. He liked Kate Todd. He was attracted to Kate Todd. He felt things for Kate Todd that went beyond the superficial that had been his salvation for the last five years. This was startling. This was amazing.

This was terrible.

First, there was the absolute certain fact that Gibbs was going to kill him. Kate was right; their boss did love them, in his own way, but if he even caught a hint that Tony could hurt Kate, Tony's life was practically forfeit. He didn't know how or why Kate had got under Gibbs' skin right away, but she had, and Tony had been careful not to go too far in his teasing or face his boss' wrath. Second, Kate deserved much, much better than to be a rebound relationship for him, and there was no certainty that that wasn't what she'd be. She was right; for five years, he'd been with a black book full of women for a maximum of three weeks at a time. His first real relationship after Annette would be fraught with difficulties and troubles, and he didn't think it was particularly fair to Kate to have brought about the change in him and then have to work through all the setbacks as well.

And then, of course, he had to consider the fact that she absolutely, positively, without a doubt, didn't feel the same way about him. No, sir, no chance. Not a one…

_Oh yeah?_ he heard the little voice say. Suddenly he was seeing Kate again: pulling away from him with a hint of reluctance and fixing his hair, looking down on him with such concern; angry beyond control on the porch swing, ready to bite the head off of anyone who came near her; communicating with only subtle gestures throughout the evening; blushing when he kissed her; almost falling when he let her go.

Well, maybe a small chance then.

_Fuck._

But even with that objection possibly negated, there were still two extremely strong ones for not acting on what he was feeling. So there was no other option, really. He just had to bury it all away, and never let her see it. He had to be mature, and strong, and self-controlled.

_I am so screwed._

The sound of the door to the house sliding back brought his head out of his hands, and he looked up to see Mario lean out the door into the sunroom. He held a familiar-looking bottle, and cocked an eyebrow. Tony nodded, and raised two fingers. Mario nodded back and disappeared into the house. Tony leaned back on the bench and tried to tie all his emotions up before his brother could read them on his face. Mario came back out, two bottles in one hand and one in the other, and slid the door closed before crossing the sunroom towards Tony. He handed the pair of bottles to him, then pulled one of the bistro set chairs out, turned it around, and straddled it, facing his brother. Tony set one bottle of beer on the ground, and opened the other. Mario reached his own bottle out, and they clinked them together before each taking a drink. Tony let the bitter alcohol sweep the dryness of his mouth away, and swallowed. "Thank God Rebecca's Canadian," he said.

Mario chuckled. "We just made another run north of the border, or all I'd have to offer you is the, ahem, 'piss-poor excuse for beer you Yankees drink.'"

Tony laughed and took another drink. "She always was a beer snob."

Mario nodded, and they sat in companionable silence for a while. "You okay, Tony?" Mario said finally.

"Yeah, I…" But the response was automatic, and not particularly truthful, so he didn't finish it. He sighed and shook his head. "It's been a hell of a day."

Mario nodded. "Wanna work it through?"

Tony was tempted. His older brother usually had good advice and perspective. But telling him would mean revealing that he and Kate weren't actually dating. Silently, he shook his head.

Mario shrugged and took another swig. "Suit yourself. Wanna know what I think?"

That damned DiNozzo tenaciousness. Oh well. He gestured for Mario to continue.

"I think you've let what happened with Annette colour your relationships, even the more serious ones, for too long, and now that you've finally seen her again, and confronted her, and made some sort of resolution with her, all those preconceptions are falling away. So you're sitting here surprised at how deep you let Kate get to you without you knowing about it, and wondering what to do about it now."

Tony stared at his brother. "Well, thanks, Doctor Phil."

Mario smiled wryly. "Hey, I'm raising two daughters, man. I'm learning to 'get in touch with my feelings.'" They sat quietly for a while, nursing their beers. "So how close did I get?" Mario asked.

"Close enough," Tony replied. "That's why I needed two of these." He finished off his first beer and opened his second.

"I figured. Look, Tony, I'm not going to tell you what to do. But it's pretty obvious to me that Kate really cares about you, and you really care about her. What would be so bad about telling her that?"

Tony shook his head again. "It's complicated, Mario. I wish I could say more than that, but I can't. Not now, anyway."

His brother accepted the caveat with a nod. "All right, Tony. You know where I am. Wanna talk about my problems now?"

Tony laughed. "All right," he said. "Let's talk about your problems."

"Actually, it's more like your problem."

"A mutual problem? We haven't had one of those in years, Mario. What possible problem could you have that will affect me?"

"Rebecca and I are trying to get pregnant again."

"Again?"

Mario nodded. "One more," he said.

"Good for you. You're such a great dad."

"Thanks. And you'll be such a great godfather."

Tony froze with his beer bottle almost at his mouth. "What?" he asked, lowering it back down.

"Godfather," Mario repeated. "Rebecca and I have talked it over, and we want you to be the new baby's godfather."

"You're not serious, right?"

"Of course I'm serious. See what I mean that this might be your problem too?"

Tony leaned forward and rubbed at his forehead. "Jesus, Mario, did you have to throw this at me today?"

"Unfortunately, Rebecca has this thing about not asking such questions over the phone, and it's been over a year since we've seen you. It was either now, or we take a special trip out to see you when we're planning things."

"I can't be… You really don't…"

"You can, and yes, we really do. Just think about it, okay? If you really don't want to, we'll accept that. But I think you'll be a great godfather." He stood up and returned the chair to the bistro set, then picked up Tony's empty. "Come inside when you're finished with all your deep, angst-ridden thoughts."

Tony took a powerless swing at him, but his brother danced out of the way with a grin, and went back inside the house. Tony sighed and took another drink. The beer was giving him a pleasant, numbing buzz, but that didn't stop his thoughts from shooting off wildly in all directions. Kate. Godfather. Kate. Godfather.

He was getting such a headache.

The bottle was empty and he was picking at the label when the door opened again, and he looked up to see Kate come through and slide it closed behind her. She looked around, and her face lit up with a smile. "This place is great."

"My favourite part of the house," Tony agreed.

"I can see why." She walked slowly around the perimeter, her hands trailing lightly over the greenery, occasionally stopping to examine or smell a flower. Tony watched her, trying not to notice the curve of her waist, or the beatific expression she got when she found a flower whose scent she liked. With some effort, he tore his eyes away from her and concentrated on his bottle, his fingers pushing at the condensation-softened label. He was still distractingly aware of every move she made.

Finally, she'd made the circuit, and sat down next to him on the bench, close, but not touching him. She put her hands under her knees and rocked back and forth slightly a few times. "You made me a promise," she said.

"I did?"

"You promised you'd be back to normal by Monday. Are you still going to be able to do that?"

"I'll try."

"I made a promise too."

"You did?"

"I promised I'd get you through this weekend and back to normal by Monday. So tell me what to do, Tony. It's not just about Annette anymore, is it?"

He took a breath, but the saner, not intoxicated part of his brain shut down his vocal chords before he could say anything. He suddenly realized that the beer probably hadn't been such a good idea, especially if he was going to keep himself under control. He cleared his throat. "Mario and Rebecca want to have another kid."

"I know. Rebecca told me."

"Did she tell you that they want me to be the godfather?"

She was quiet. "Don't you want to be?"

"You know what I'm like, Kate," he said. "I can't have their kid looking up to me."

"Why not?" she asked. She began ticking points off on her fingers. "You're in law enforcement. You have a very firm code of ethics. You care about your friends. You have a great sense of humour."

Using the bottle, he began to tick off counterarguments. "I sleep around. I have commitment issues. I don't go to church and don't actively practice Catholicism. I have problems with authority."

Her hand covered his, stopping him from making any further rebuttals. "Tony, they wouldn't have asked you if they didn't know all that."

"It's 'cause of you," he accused, finally looking at her, and speaking before he could censor the thought. "They think that I'm settling down. This is all your fault!"

Anger flashed in her eyes, and she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled until their faces were inches apart. "Listen, DiNozzo. I'll take a lot from you, but that's over the line. I came out here this weekend to help you. You needed the settling-down pressure taken off of you; I did that. Maybe you didn't need me as much to hold your hand as to be a catalyst with Annette. That's fine; I did that too. But don't you dare think that just because we're playing this role that Mario and Rebecca don't know who you are. Do you really think it was a split-second decision to ask you to be their kid's godfather? They planned to ask you before they even knew about me. So you know what? You can take your self-pity and shove it. Don't belittle your family that way, don't belittle me, and don't belittle yourself."

She was right. He knew it and she knew it, and he was sure she could read his acceptance of that in his eyes, even in the dim light of the sunroom, but she didn't let go. He could feel her breath on his face. The beer had definitely been a bad idea. She was so close, close enough that it wouldn't take much to– No! He was supposed to be the responsible, informed one here. But it was so tempting. He caught a just a hint of the perfume she'd put on that morning, and it nearly undid him. He could say he thought he'd seen Rebecca or Mario by the door; she'd buy that, wouldn't she? But that was deceitful; he couldn't…

Her expression shifted, confused now, and her fingers loosened. With a display of emotional strength that surprised him, he pulled back from her and moved his gaze away. He set his empty bottle on the ground and sat back on the bench, not looking at her. "I'm sorry, Kate," he said. "You're right."

She was quiet, and he prayed that she would just go, just leave him alone so he could regain some equilibrium. But she continued to sit there, finally relaxing back into the bench. "All right then," she said. "Now that we have that straight, what else is going on?"

Bloody hell, she was as bad as… a DiNozzo. "Nothing."

"I didn't believe that yesterday, and I don't believe it now, Tony."

"Then can you believe that I don't have words to talk about it right now?"

She sighed, and then she shifted over. He twitched, arm automatically rising as she pressed up against his side. Her head came to rest against his shoulder, and her hand took up residence on his waist, just above the band of his pants. She squeezed him a little, and as his arm dropped slowly of its own accord across her shoulders, she said, "That I'll believe."

He shouldn't let her do this, he told himself. He should keep her as far away from him as physically possible until he was sure he wasn't going to do anything foolish. And he was opening his mouth to tell her that when she squeezed him again, and snuggled closer. His mouth closed, and his head dropped until his cheek was resting against her hair. He was crazy; that was the only explanation. He was sitting in a cozy, romantic sunroom on a bench, Kate Todd was hugging him, and he wanted to send her away? Absolutely nuts.

They were silent, just sitting in the near dark. Tony moved his fingers lightly against her arm, extending and contracting in a slow rhythm. She shivered after a while, and moved her head up slightly against his. He stopped then, allowing his hand to just rest against her. The places where she touched him grew warm in shared body heat. He found himself relaxing, lulled by her presence. His eyes began to droop, until finally they just remained closed. Then all there was was the darkness and the feeling of her next to him. He must have been dozing, because when the door opened, it came as such a disturbance that his head jerked up, and he pried his eyes open with some effort. It was some comfort that Kate seemed to react the same way. She sat up, blinking hard, and stretched as she turned to the doorway. Rebecca stood in the light, looking at them with a smile on her face. "Don't you two look sweet," she said.

"Mmph," Tony said, dropping his head to stretch out his neck. "Time is it?"

"Eleven. You'll be more comfortable in the guestroom, I think."

"'m fine," he said through a yawn.

"Well, I'm not. Mario and I are going to bed. I just wanted to see if you needed anything."

Tony shook his head and forced himself to his feet. "I remember where everything is, unless you moved it," he said, walking towards his sister-in-law.

"Not in the basement," she answered. "Everything's right where it was."

"Then we're good." He held his arms out to her, and she came forward to accept his embrace. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Good night, Tony."

He kissed her on the cheek. "Night, Rebecca."

"Good night, Kate. See you in the morning."

"Good night, Rebecca," Kate answered.

Rebecca was almost through the door when she turned back. "Oh, I'll try to keep Min and Mel from waking you both up tomorrow, but you know how they get. I say one thing, they do exactly the opposite."

"Consider us warned," Tony said. "Sleep well."

She nodded, then left the sunroom. He saw a few lights turn off as she made her way to the staircase.

"Wake us up how?" Kate asked. She still seemed to be a bit asleep.

Tony shrugged as he turned back to her. "Usually they come in and jump on the bed."

Slowly, she drifted over until she was lying down on the bench. "Means we'll need to sleep in the same bed, huh?"

Immediately, any fatigue he felt disappeared. They couldn't do that. That was a terrible idea. "If you want to keep going with the story."

Her eyes opened slightly. "What, you don't want to?"

He shrugged. The sooner they dropped the op, the better, as far as he was concerned. He couldn't tell her that, of course. "I think we can trust Mario and Rebecca."

"Of course we can, but what kind of practice are we getting if we stop now? It's just getting easy."

"Well, I just… I thought maybe you wouldn't be comfortable…"

Her eyes closed again. "Stop worrying about me, DiNozzo," she said, her voice fading. "I'm fine."

"All right," he said. And then he did something he never would have dared to do if he hadn't still been under the influence of two Canadian beers and she hadn't been mostly asleep. He went over to her and picked her up in his arms. She twitched a little, as though she might have protested, but then she just breathed out and buried her head into the crook of his neck. His heart pounded; she must have felt it, but she was too far gone to really know what it was. With slow, smooth steps, he carried her through the still-open door and through the house, down the stairs to the basement guestroom. Avoiding the two suitcases inside the door, he crossed to the bed and brought one knee up onto it. Then he gently set her down in the middle. Her eyes drifted open a little as he straightened and turned on the bedside lamp. "Such a gentleman," she murmured.

He smiled down at her. "I can be."

"Stop it, okay? You're throwing me off." Her eyes closed again.

He simply could not help it. Though the part of him that knew it was a bad idea shrieked and screamed, he leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead. "Get ready for bed, Kate. I'm going to turn down the house."

She made a sleepy non-committal noise at him. He kissed her forehead again, then pressed his cheek to the silkiness of her hair, before rising and leaving the room. Methodically he checked the doors, windows, and turned off lights, taking as long as he possibly could, trying to bring his rebellious body and mind back under control. Finally, though, there was nothing else to do but return to the guestroom.

He stopped in the doorway. Somehow, she'd actually done as he'd asked. Her face was pink with fresh washing, and she had dressed in the old T-shirt that served as her nightwear and slipped under the covers. Other than that, she was exactly as he'd left her. Quietly, he opened his suitcase and pulled out his toothbrush and a T-shirt. He kept a careful eye on himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth and changed his clothes. He wasn't quite sure he trusted the look in his eye. The conflict between prudence and (dare he call it that) passion raged in his head. He stared himself down for a while, waiting for one side or the other to gain dominance. They seemed to be fairly evenly matched. "Gentleman," he told himself. "You are going to act like a gentleman tonight, DiNozzo."

That decision made, or at least spoken, he left the bathroom and returned to the bedroom. He closed the door softly behind him, then stood by it, looking at the sleeping woman in the bed. She looked so comfortable. He hardly wanted to disturb her by climbing in. He lowered his eyes. _Friend,_ he thought forcefully. _Gentleman._ He stepped towards the bed, and reached out to pull the covers back. He stopped before he could. _Floor,_ he added then. _Definitely floor._ He removed the pillow that Kate wasn't using, then got down on his hands and knees and dug underneath the bed for the extra blankets.

"Tony?"

He jerked a little, scraping his arm on the metal bed frame. He'd thought she was asleep. He looked up, his head barely clearing the edge of the mattress. Her eyes were open, and though she was still hazy, she was definitely more conscious than before. "What are you doing?"

"Umm…"

"Are you trying to sleep on the floor?"

"Well…"

She rolled her eyes and whipped the covers back. He fought to keep his eyes on her face, not allowing them to travel the length of her body down to her tanned, bare legs. "You're sweet. Now come to bed."

_Don't say things like that, Kate, please!_ "Are you sure?" he stalled.

"Look, Tony, I'm too tired to make changes to the op procedures tonight. Let's just stick to the plan for now. We can talk about changes in the morning, okay?"

_Morning might be too late, Kate._ But he had no choice, really. It was either get into bed with her and hope for the best, or tell her why he didn't think it was a good idea. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

Carefully, he withdrew his arm from underneath the bed and retrieved the pillow he'd stolen. He felt her watching him as he put it back on the bed, then got in and lay down on his back. She pulled the covers over him, and as she did so, her arm crossed over his chest, and she rolled so that she was almost lying on top of him. He shifted his arm out of the way. She made sure that the blankets covered him completely, and then she turned off the lamp on the bedside table. They were plunged into darkness, and then the weight of her against him eased, but not completely. Her hand came to rest on his breastbone, and she curled up against him.

"Kate–" he said.

"Night, Tony," she sighed.

In the bare minute that he was paralysed, trying to figure out what to do or say, she had fallen asleep. He could tell, for her breathing was deep, and when he said her name, she didn't so much as move. "Kate," he whispered again. "Come on, Kate, go back to your side of the bed." Nothing. He sighed, his eyes fixed on the headboard above him. "Mom, Kate's on my side. Great, DiNozzo, how juvenile." With one arm trapped under her head, he didn't have a lot of options. He put his other hand on her shoulder and gently tried to roll her away from him. In her sleep, her hand clenched, grabbing hold of his T-shirt, and a few of the hairs on his chest. "Ow, ow! Damnit, woman, that hurts!" He covered her hand with his, and as he did so, she rolled back the distance he'd pushed her, and her hand relaxed and the pain stopped. "First thing's first, then." Loosely gripping her wrist, he slowly lifted her hand vertically. She didn't seem to react. But as he started to move it back towards her, she pulled it from his grasp. She missed his face by a very small margin, and he counted himself lucky, because her hand dropped onto his shoulder with significant emphasis. She settled closer in, adjusting for the new position of her arm, and one of her legs bent and crossed over his. He shifted slightly, testing out this new situation, but it was no use. She had him well and truly pinned.

He lay there, wondering what on earth he'd done to deserve this kind of treatment from the Powers That Be. Here he was, mostly committed to being a gentleman, and the object of his affections was throwing herself upon him. In her sleep. It was unfair in the worst way. His only real recourse was to wake her and get her to move, but he didn't really want to do that. She was tired. He didn't want to disturb her sleep more than he already had. Would he get any sleep; that was the question.

That was when the little voice in his head spoke up again. _You're a real idiot, Tony, you know? You hang around Gibbs too much._

He was in bed with Kate Todd. They were wrapped around each. Sure, he'd just realized his feelings for her ran a little deeper than he'd thought. Sure, it was probably a bad idea. But if he wasn't going to tell her, ever, how he felt, then damnit, why didn't he just take what he could get and enjoy it? When would he ever have the chance to spend the night with Kate Todd again?

The other voice in his head, the one that sounded suspiciously like Gibbs, slowly fell into muteness as his arms unconsciously moved around her. Her breathing hitched slightly as he did so, and he paused to make sure she wasn't waking up before settling her in his embrace a little more firmly. His eyes closed, and he listened to her breathing. Gradually, his took up her pattern. And just like before, out in the sunroom, he felt her presence relaxing him. He wanted to stay awake a little longer, to consciously enjoy what proper conduct would deprive him of come morning, but he couldn't. He had one final thought before he slipped into slumber.

Kate Todd was in his arms. All was right in the world.


	10. Chapter 9: Kate Platonic

Author's Note: You are all so patient! I sincerely apologize. Work, school, and sickness... Well, you know how it goes. I am posting the rest of the story today, two platonic chapters, and two romantic chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

**Part 9: Kate**

An insistent voice and a hand on her shoulder roused Kate from sleep. She automatically lashed out at the hand as she regained consciousness, and connected sharply with it. "Ow! Kate." Tony's voice was a harsh whisper.

It took her about five seconds to remember where she was, why she was on the floor, and who she was with. She squinted up at him from where he leaned over the side of the bed and flopped back into her pillow, throwing her arm over her eyes. "What, Tony?"

"Shhh. Keep your voice down. Are we still playing this out?"

"What?"

"Are we still playing a couple this morning?"

"Yeah," she said. "Why?"

"Because you've got about a minute, maybe two, before Min and Mel come in here to wake us up for breakfast."

Kate swore, sitting up quickly. She threw her pillow at Tony, who caught it, and untangled herself from the sleeping bag. Luckily, it had been warm enough that she hadn't felt the need to zip it up. She stood, kicking it underneath the bed. Tony had pulled back the quilt for her, and she slipped in next to him. He pulled the covers over them and they lay down together, spooned in the middle of the bed. "Relax," he whispered, taking her hand in his. "Pretend you're asleep."

"Easy for you to say," she replied, but she closed her eyes and tried.

The sudden rush to preserve their cover had heightened her senses, and she was almost instantly aware of whispers and giggles out in the hall. Tony's nieces were obviously on the prowl, getting ready to storm the guestroom to get their favourite uncle out of bed. She forced her now protesting body to relax, consciously unclenching one muscle group at a time. Tony's arm tightened around her, and she found her back pressed more firmly into him. Part of her was grateful; his warmth was a balm on her stiff muscles.

She heard the doorknob turning, and then there was a change in the way the room sounded as the door opened. The muffled giggles were much clearer. "See?" one of them whispered. "Told you he's still asleep."

"What about Aunt Kate?" asked the other. Kate was very glad she and Tony were facing away from the door, because although she managed to hold her laughter in check, she couldn't quite keep the smile off her face.

"She's asleep too. Come on."

Kate heard them take supposedly stealthy steps across the carpet, and she couldn't help readying herself for whatever frontal assault they had planned. They were giggling almost non-stop, fairly close, when suddenly Tony, without moving at all, said, "What do you two think you're doing?"

The two girls burst into high-pitched squeals of laughter and ran from the room. Kate winced. "No way I'd still be asleep after that," she commented, rolling over onto her stomach as Tony pulled away to look at the door.

"I couldn't let them jump us," Tony said, turning back. His hand came to rest on her back, and he moved his fingers lightly against her T-shirt.

"Mmm," she agreed. "Well, since we've been woken, I suppose we should get up." She started to push herself upright again.

"Nah. You stay, Kate." He pressed her back down into the bed. "I'll call you for breakfast."

"But–"

"Relax, Kate." He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I had the bed all night. Your turn."

She subsided, but mostly because the bed was soft and warm from his body heat, and felt good. As he got out of bed, she shifted to a more comfortable position, and he threw the quilt back over her. She closed her eyes, but they flew open again when he touched her hair, pushing it gently away from her cheek. He smiled down at her. "I'll call you," he said again.

"I told you to stop being a gentleman."

His smile widened. "Sorry. I don't follow orders first thing in the morning."

"Do you ever follow orders?"

"I've been known to, on occasion. Just never in the morning." Then he wandered over to his suitcase and started to dig through it.

Kate snorted and closed her eyes, burrowing further into the warmth that surrounded her. She heard Tony leave the room, but she must have fallen asleep again, because the next thing she knew the bed tipped under someone's weight, and a hand gently shook her. "Kate, it's time for breakfast," Rebecca was saying.

Kate opened her eyes and looked up blearily, then shook her head and sat up, allowing her head to fall forward to stretch out her spine. "What time is it?" she asked.

"A little after nine. About an hour since Min and Mel disobeyed my direct orders to let you two sleep."

Kate looked up to see Rebecca frowning. "It's all right," she said. "I should have woken up anyway."

Rebecca shrugged. "That's not the point. I specifically told them not to."

Kate, quickly shedding her post-awakening muzziness, laughed. "Rebecca, they're DiNozzos. Since when have DiNozzos done what they're told to do on a regular basis?"

Rebecca laughed as well. "You're right, of course. I guess I'll just hope for better things from this one." Her hand moved to cover her stomach.

Kate looked at it, then up at her. "When you've asked Tony to be godfather? You're dreaming."

She smiled impishly. "I suppose I am. Do you think he'll do it?"

"What, be godfather?" Kate shrugged. "I don't know, Rebecca. It's been some weekend for him. And he doesn't think he's really the right one for the job."

"We let him off the hook with Min and Mel, because he was just so... transient when they were born," Rebecca said earnestly. "But he's been where he's at now for four years, and there's no one we'd want more. Can you..." She shrugged, looking helpless. "Can you try to make him understand that?"

Kate was suddenly glad that they'd decided not to tell Rebecca and Mario the truth. She doubted Rebecca would have opened up this way if they had. It was uncomfortable lying to her, because Kate genuinely liked her, but Kate doubted she would have understood why they'd done what they'd done. But that didn't mean that she couldn't work on Tony as a friend. "I'll try, Rebecca," she said. "But this is Tony. He goes his own way. None of us can force him to do something he doesn't want to."

"I know," Rebecca said. "I appreciate anything you can do." She looked at her curiously then. "Kate, would you give me your contact information?"

"What? Why?" Kate asked. Inside her, warning lights went off. This was just supposed to be a weekend thing, not something ongoing. But if Rebecca wanted to call her...

"Tony..." She sighed. "Look, Tony's my brother, the little brother I never had, and I worry about him. He doesn't say much about what's going on in his life when we get together–"

"He really can't," Kate said. "Security concerns."

Rebecca waved her hand. "I understand that. No, he just doesn't say much at all, and I'd really like to know how he's doing sometimes. I won't ask you to betray confidences, Kate. I'm not that kind of person. But I need to know he's all right. Mario and I both need to know that."

_Goddamnit, why does she have to be so nice?_ Kate thought. "All right," she said. Then she added, "You know, Rebecca, Tony and I are together right now, but–"

Rebecca smiled at her. "I know, Kate. It might not always be the case. But you two, you seem like such good friends. I don't believe that will ever change, no matter what might happen to your relationship."

Kate froze, staring at her. _She knows,_ she thought. _But no, why would she? She's just perceptive. She's seen through all my lies since the moment I met her, except for the big one. Except it looks like she's seen through that one a little too._ She had to respond, and so she smiled, and said, "I think you might be right about that. Remind me before we leave. I'll give you my numbers."

Rebecca nodded. "Good. Now come out for breakfast, before those two eat all the biscuits."

When she was gone, Kate resisted the urge to flop back down on the bed and wonder again how on earth she'd gotten herself into this situation. She knew precisely how she'd done so, so any further contemplation was just wasting time. Instead, she forced herself to get up, quickly run to the washroom, try to make her hair a little more presentable, and put on some clothes that didn't look as much like sleepwear. The house was filled with the smell of baking, and she followed it to the kitchen. Tony and Mario were at the kitchen table with the two little girls, mock fighting over the paper. Tony greeted her with many jokes about zombies, which she easily ignored as she bid them all good morning, and could she have the front page, please? As she sat down next to him, Tony reached up and turned her face towards his, kissing her lightly on the lips before releasing her and going back to fighting over the comics section with his brother. Kate spread the front page on the table in front of her and began to read, skillfully ignoring the racket until Rebecca brought a plate full of biscuits to the table. Then, almost magically, the paper disappeared and they sat down to feast.

"Do you really have to leave right after breakfast?" Mario asked as they tucked in to the meal before them.

"It's a long drive, Mario," Tony said, spreading jam on his biscuit, "and we're back on duty tomorrow morning."

Mario nodded understandingly. "Well, the next time you two have a free weekend, just give us a call. We'd love to have you stay again."

Tony looked over at Kate. "We'll let you know," he said, his eyes asking her a question. Kate nodded her head slightly, and he did the same before turning back to his brother. "Maybe Gibbs'll feel charitable as we get closer to Christmas." Kate laughed. "Well, he might!"

They lingered over breakfast, but finally they had to get everything tidied up. As the two brothers did the dishes and Rebecca got her girls washed and dressed, Kate took a quick shower and packed her suitcase, retrieving the sleeping bag from under the bed and rolling it up. She left it on the corner of the bed, and when Tony came in to do his own packing, he put it in the closet. They took their suitcases to the back door, then waited in the kitchen with Mario until Rebecca brought the girls back down.

Kate stood back as Tony said goodbye to them. It made her a little sad to see how much love there was between them. Her own family would never come close to this sort of easy affection; it made her slightly jealous. But as Tony picked both his nieces up at once to hug them goodbye, Mario came over to her and embraced her unhesitatingly. She was a little surprised, but she hugged him back. He pulled back and looked down at her, then kissed her once on each cheek. Smiling, he said, "It was really good to meet you, Kate."

"You too," she said, unable to stop a warm feeling from infusing her. "Thanks for letting us stay here last night."

"Any time. I mean that," he said.

"Me, too," Rebecca said, coming up next to her husband, and Kate found herself transferred from one embrace to another.

When Rebecca released her, she pulled the business card she'd prepared out of her pocket and gave it to her. "My numbers," she said quietly. "Home phone's written on the back."

Rebecca slipped the card into her pocket before Tony could see it. "Thanks," she whispered. Then she looked over her shoulder. "Tony, bring those two here so they can say goodbye to Kate."

Kate solemnly shook each girl's hand, though she had to fight to keep her countenance as they both apologized for waking her up. She accepted their apologies with equal seriousness. Then it was time to go. Tony gave his brother and sister-in-law one last hug, then picked up his suitcase and went to the door, where Kate stood holding it open for him. The family gathered in the doorway as they put their suitcases in the car, and waved as Tony started it up and backed down the driveway. They kept waving, and both Kate and Tony waved back, until they'd pulled out into the street and started away from the house.

Tony was quiet as they exited the suburb and drove towards the highway, and Kate didn't feel the need to interrupt whatever he was thinking. She had her own contemplation to do. Her split-second offer to decoy as Tony's girlfriend had had several unforeseen consequences. Primary among them was, of course, that she was far closer to Tony now than she had been before. It had come about half because they had been thrown together in a necessarily intimate situation, but half because she could see him now as his family saw him. She knew depths of him now, and she knew she'd shown him some of hers over the past two days.

But then there had been his family's almost unconditional acceptance of her. Their easy and freely given affection was a far cry from her own family, and a part of her regretted that she was only playing the role. And, quite apart from the rest of the family, there was Rebecca and Mario, who had accepted her even beyond the limitations of the role she'd played. She knew that eventually, Tony would tell his family that they'd split up. She also knew, with equal certainty, that Rebecca and Mario would continue to treat her as part of their family. It was... amazing.

They gained the highway, and as their speed increased, Tony began to talk. Inconsequential topics, really, how the weather seemed to have cleared, and how he remembered one time, he'd been on a boat on Lake Superior when this amazing fog had rolled in. Kate replied, and their conversation continued as the miles rolled underneath the car. Kate felt their roles slipping away, left behind as they got closer and closer to Washington, home, and reality.

It was late afternoon by the time Tony pulled up in front of her apartment building and put the car in park. "Need help?" he asked.

"Nah," she said. "It's just one suitcase."

He nodded. "All right then." He paused, a little uncertainly. Then he took a breath. "Thanks, Kate," he said. "I... had fun."

He meant it; she could tell. "Me too, Tony," she said. Impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."

He grinned at her. "You're welcome," he said. "Can't do that when Gibbs is around, you know."

"Ah, I'll just kiss him too."

"And make me jealous?"

"Do you get jealous?"

"With this? Nah. I'd love to see his face, though."

"Come to think of it, so would I."

They laughed together, and then Kate got out of the car. Tony popped the trunk for her, and she got her suitcase out and closed it again. As she went towards her building, Tony rolled down the window. "Kate?"

She turned around. "Yeah?"

"I..." He paused, and seemed to rethink what he wanted to say. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He had been about to ask her if she wanted to get together tonight. Kate somehow knew that without any doubt in her mind. And as she realized that, she also had to stop herself from asking him if he had a set of flannel pajamas, and inviting him over for the popcorn and movie she'd forgone in favour of a weekend with his family. But as much as she wanted to, she knew they both needed some distance to regain equilibrium. So instead of asking him over, she smiled at him. "Yeah, Tony," she said quietly. "See you then."

He nodded, then quickly rolled up his window, as though he knew that if he didn't cut off the means of communication, one of them might change their minds. He reversed out of the parking stall, and peeled out of the lot. She watched him go, then turned and went towards her front door, feeling a little alone.


	11. Chapter 9: Kate Romantic

Author's Note: You are all so patient! I sincerely apologize. Work, school, and sickness... Well, you know how it goes. I am posting the rest of the story today, two platonic chapters, and two romantic chapters. Enjoy!

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**Part 9: Kate**

When Kate woke up the next morning, she struggled to remember how she'd made it to bed the night before. She vaguely remembered changing her clothes, washing her face, and brushing her teeth, and she remembered something about Tony trying to sleep on the floor, but the rest was more than a little hazy. It bothered her a little. She liked knowing how she ended up places. A few less than smart nights in university had cured her of any romantic notions about waking up with no memory of the night before. So, as she slowly woke up, she turned her attention to trying to decipher the mystery.

What was that hiding back there in the fog? Being carried in strong arms down the stairs and laid on the bed? Yeah, right. That had to be a dream. A nice dream… Eyes still closed, Kate smiled. Carried like a princess, or a real girlfriend, down the stairs to bed? Definitely a nice dream. Definitely something Tony wouldn't do.

She was waking up more now, and while the fog over most of the previous evening remained, she devoted more conscious thought to it. She'd gone out to see Tony in the greenhouse; Mario had sent her out there after she'd finished helping Rebecca bathe the two girls. Tony had seemed… a little undone. Not to the same extent that he'd started the weekend, granted, but more than a little disturbed by something he was thinking about. So she'd tried to get it out of him, and though she was willing to admit that part of it was the responsibility Mario and Rebecca wanted to give him as godfather, she'd known that wasn't everything. And she was also willing to admit that maybe he couldn't talk about it yet. But, as before, she'd known what she'd had to do. With words ineffective, she'd turned to gesture once again.

It was funny, really, how quickly she'd become used to touching Tony. It wasn't that she didn't like touching people; she did. But it was usually a slow process to get to the point where she was innately comfortable just reaching out. Posing as Tony's girlfriend had forced her to condense that process. Hmm, she ought to go undercover more often, if this was the result.

She yanked her thoughts forcefully back to the topic at hand, because it was after she'd leaned against him that events began to disappear into the fog that might or might not have been a dream. She remembered listening to his heartbeat as they'd sat together, and remembered the way his fingertips had moved against her arm in time with it. The sound and the contact had lulled her, until… In her mind, she shuddered as she had done physically then. Until her body had reacted in a decidedly non-platonic way to what he was doing. A partial-strength remnant of the feeling coursed through her body as she thought about it, and her lips twitched against a frown. She'd had no business getting turned on by such a friendly, innocent gesture. Good God, this was Tony! True, they'd become much closer over the course of the weekend, but that was only as friends. Right?

Luckily, he'd stopped doing it, and she'd been able to shunt her reaction aside, although with some difficulty. Then it had just been his heart, and his cheek resting on her head, and his arm around her, and that was when the whole day had caught up with her, and she'd fallen asleep. And after that?

After that was a nebulous remembrance of saying good night to Rebecca, followed by something about Tony's nieces (though damned if she could remember what), and that strange dream of being carried through the house. Her brow furrowed slightly. There was something else in the mist as well. Was that Tony, leaning down and kissing her forehead?

Now she knew she had been dreaming. There was no way Tony would be caught in such a tender gesture with no one else around. Still, she thought as she allowed her face to relax again, it had been a nice dream…

Wait a minute. What was she doing? They were playing a role, that was all. She and Tony were just friends, good friends. He wasn't her lover. She didn't want him to be her lover… Unbidden, an extraordinarily erotic image appeared in her head, and her eyes flew open as she had to draw a quick breath in through her mouth.

And there he was. Right in front of her. Asleep.

She quashed her automatic reaction to roll away, knowing such a sudden movement would wake him up. She didn't want him to wake up yet, not with her body still singing from her completely inappropriate thoughts. As she became more fully aware of her surroundings, she took a catalog of the situation. Clothes on, lying on her side, facing Tony, who was also on his side, positioned so that his knees rested lightly against her legs. Their hands were touching, but not intertwined, between them. The early morning light that filtered in through the high window bathed them in blue, but didn't affect her ability to see. And he was sound asleep.

_He looks… sweet,_ she thought. Despite the dimness, she was close enough to make out details she couldn't normally. He had long, thick eyelashes. His eyebrows were well defined and shapely. His hair was delightfully tousled. His mouth was pursed slightly.

Kate contemplated his mouth for a time. Wouldn't it be funny if she woke him up with a kiss? Do a bit of a number on him the way he'd done on her yesterday? What would he do? Probably kiss her back. Woken out of a deep sleep, he'd probably just react instead of think. She allowed herself to think about exactly what form his reaction might take, and she started to smile.

_Hang on a minute…_

The smile dropped away. This was the second time in almost as many minutes she'd had to stop herself from thinking of Tony as anything more than a friend. Add to that her reaction to him last night, and the dreams she'd had… _Great, Kate. Play Tony's girlfriend for twenty-four hours, and you end up thinking that you are his girlfriend. Get a grip! _

But…

No. No buts. Tony is your friend. He doesn't feel that way about you.

What, the way you feel about him?

She stiffened as the accusation rang loud in her head. The way she felt about him? What way? They were just friends…

_Yeah, Kate, that's why you can't get your mind off his oh so talented mouth. That's why you came out here with him._

But it was why she'd come out here with him–

_There are things you do for friends, Kate, and this isn't one of them. This is the kind of thing you do for someone who's under your skin in more ways than one._

Oh, come on. She'd do the same thing for Gibbs…

_Liar._

Hey, that wasn't–

_All right, if you're so sure, tell me what was going on here._

In her mind's eye, Tony's face was as close to hers as it was now, but his eyes were open, and she had just finished telling him he was being an idiot. His gaze had been locked on hers, and his expression unmasked; she could see that she'd made an impression. But there was something else going on in his head, and she'd held him close in an effort to decipher what. Two realizations had come to her at the same moment: first, that he was in an excellent position to just lean forward and kiss her, and second, that she was in the same excellent position. This led to two further thoughts: why didn't he, and why didn't she? Her reaction had been confusing, and before she'd known what was happening, she'd let him go, and he'd pulled away from her. And she'd felt… disappointed.

She tried to come up with an explanation that would satisfy her internal inquisitor. Whenever she felt like she was getting close to one, she would look at Tony, asleep beside her, and it would fall apart. But… she couldn't be…

_Why not? Don't tell me you're repulsed by him._

Good Lord, no. She was anything but repulsed by him. A new vision came to her, and she bit down hard on her lip to drive it away. She had to be cursed with an active imagination, didn't she? 

But even if she did (dare she say it?) find Tony attractive and want to pursue something with him, what good did it do her? He was still Tony. He played the field; she didn't, and never would. She could accept nothing less than a committed, mutual relationship. Tony couldn't give her that, and she had enough life experience to know that it was pointless to try and change a man. Besides, if she tried to change him, he wouldn't be Tony anymore. He wouldn't be the guy who made her laugh with his antics at the office, who commiserated with her whenever Gibbs was being particularly obsessive, who teased her but looked out for and guided her at the same time, who joined her in teasing but looking out for and guiding McGee.

So it was pointless then. No matter what she felt, she could never let Tony know. She didn't want to endanger their friendship. It was too important.

It made her sad, and she lay there, looking at him in the ever-brightening light. In the security of his unconsciousness, she drank him in, memorized the angles of his sleeping face, reveled in the minimal contact between their bodies. This moment was all she could have. She was determined to make the most of it.

Eventually, his hair began to sing a siren song to her. It was one of her minor obsessions; she loved the feel of hair, and loved to have her hair touched as well. She knew it was a silly primate grooming thing, some racial memory from back before humans had language, but that didn't stop her from enjoying it. His hair had been wet when she'd touched it yesterday, but now it was dry and wonderfully messy, and looked so soft, so inviting. It was just begging her to put her fingers in it, and her fingers itched with the need to comply. She pressed her lips together. Could she get away with it? It was an intimate gesture, but could be platonic, whereas waking him up with a kiss was definitely not. But no. She should resist.

_Oh, come on, Kate. You're never going to get the chance again. Why not take it?_

That little voice kept getting her in deeper and deeper trouble with its damned impulsiveness. Unfortunately, it was right. She never would get the chance again. So, why not?

Slowly and carefully, she moved, propping her head up on her elbow. Then she reached out with her other hand. Lightly at first, she skimmed her fingers over his hair, barely touching the ends. He didn't react. Gradually, she went deeper. She sighed. It was just as soft and wonderful as it looked. It was really disappointing that she'd never be able to do this again.

Her movements were slow and light, but she knew they eventually had to register with his unconscious mind, and she watched him wake up. After a good long while, his eyes cracked open, and he looked at her, obviously still mostly asleep. She smiled down at him, withdrawing her hand to rest between them on the bed. "Morning, lazy," she said.

His mouth twitched into a pseudo-smile. With uncharacteristically clumsy motions he reached up and touched her cheek with his index finger. The smile widened into existence, and he slowly blinked. The one finger became his whole hand, and then he moved. Only a little, they were quite close together, but it was motion, and she heard the mattress springs compress slightly, heard the sound of his T-shirt move against the cotton sheets, the feathers in his pillow sigh air in as he raised his head, closed his eyes, and kissed her mouth, softly, gently, familiarly…

His eyes remained closed as he lay back down, blindly gathering her hand from where it sat between them and clasping it to his chest. His eyes remained closed, so he didn't see the look of shock she knew was plastered on her face.

He'd kissed her. He'd kissed her. The first thing he'd done upon waking, upon finding himself in bed with her, was touch his lips to hers. And it hadn't been just any kind of kiss, either. It had been light, affectionate, unsustained. It had been simply 'good morning.'

Friends didn't kiss each other like that. Especially when one friend had just woken the other one up. Friends said good morning, and maybe teased each other a little. Friends then moved back, giving each other personal space that maybe they didn't have during the night. Friends didn't then take the other's hand and hold it so close she could feel his heartbeat.

She stared down at him, almost frightened to move. She was dreaming. That was the only explanation. Like the other dreams last night. She was still asleep; she had to be. Well, there was a way to check that. She curled the hand that supported her head into a fist, catching a handful of hair between her fingers, and started to pull. She didn't stop pulling until she was sure that, had she been asleep, the pain would have woken her by now. She wasn't sleeping. She was awake. It wasn't a dream. He really had…

But… did that mean that the rest of it wasn't a dream either? Tony carrying her down to bed, kissing her on the forehead, were those real? And if they were–

If they were, then maybe…

As she watched, his expression changed. Under his eyelids, his eyes moved right, then left. His brow furrowed slightly. Then his mouth opened, just a little. And she knew that he was realizing what he'd done, what he'd given away. Any second now, he was going to open his eyes and stare at her with horror and apology. Any second now, unless…

His lips were soft and yielding under hers, and his hair tickled her fingers, and she gripped the hand that held hers tightly. Three gestures, three ways of physically grounding him, and when he pulled back, her hold tightened, and she kept his head from moving too much, and he was only able to break contact for a moment before she reestablished it. She kissed him, once, twice, three times, as lightly as he had kissed her. She didn't mind that he didn't seem able to reciprocate. When she pulled back, shifting her arm under her body so she could be comfortable, his eyes were open, staring at her. She smiled at him, settling her head back into the pillow, their faces no more than three inches apart, and kept her eyes on his.

She could almost watch the order of his thoughts; his face was open in a way it rarely was. Shock gave way to realization, then back to shock. What, it was so inconceivable that she might take matters into her own hands? From there, he seemed to move into some form of despair, then resolution, then slowly climbed to tentative hope. He wavered there for a moment; she wasn't sure why. Maybe now was the time to speak? She took a breath.

It was enough of a gesture that he seemed to come to a decision. His expression crystallized, and before she could say anything, he had stretched forward, capturing her mouth again in an as-gentle, less-unconscious kiss.

She responded, and her heart began to beat faster, because this time, the action was mutual. This time, they were actually kissing each other. Neither of them were passive participants. But it stayed light, exploratory, questioning. Tony seemed to have no objections to leaving it that way either. She wondered idly how often he'd kissed women like this; it had been a while, given the tentative undertones. Of course, it had been a while for her as well.

But the memory of yesterday still haunted her, and as pleasant and wonderful as this was, she wanted more. She pressed forward a little, trying to deepen the kiss. Tony pulled back slightly. "Kate," he whispered against her lips. She didn't open her eyes; she didn't need to. She heard the need in his voice. She pressed forward again, this time sliding her whole body closer to him. But she only managed to keep her lips on his for a brief second. Then his hand came to her cheek, and he held her head in place as he pulled away. "Kate," he whispered again. This time she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Please," he whispered.

She could see that his self-control was hanging by a thread, that he wanted to give in. But the desperation she saw as well, that was unexpected. There was something he wanted her to understand, something beyond the fact that, yes, she wasn't alone in her need. He wanted her to hold back.

She contemplated it for a brief second, that unspoken request. And if he'd asked half a minute before, she probably would have acquiesced. But men weren't the only ones that were slaves to their bodies at times, and she had just let her physical needs take over. Her heart pounded, and her breathing was deeper, and her hands wanted to touch him, and she just needed to feel him against her. So even as her mind was attempting to regain control, her body reached out and drew him in again.

As her lips met his, she felt his control snap. It was almost electric. He made a noise in his throat, some primal utterance that interacted with her body like a shot of ice water in her veins. Then his arms were tight around her, and everything she wanted came to pass. She rolled onto her back, pulling him with her until his torso pressed down solidly on hers, and she was able to wrap her arms around him. He drew one of his hands out from under her and then it was in her hair, his fingertips almost cold against her scalp. She shuddered; Lord, it felt good.

When she shivered, he lifted his head away and looked down at her with heated eyes. She raised her head, trying to recapture his lips. He pulled back and she missed, so she tried again. This time, he smiled as he pulled away. _Tease,_ she thought. _Fine._ She had access to his neck, and he couldn't pull that away far enough. He tried to evade the first kiss, but the moment she made contact, he relaxed, easing back to her and letting her do what she would. He jerked when she nipped at him, but his eyes burned down at her, and then he kissed her again. And again. And again…

She didn't know exactly what she heard, or what he heard, but just as she had reached down, slipped her hands under his shirt, and ran them up his back, something made her pause, senses that were filled with his presence extending past the distraction. He froze as well, suddenly tensing. They lay there, listening, staring into each other's eyes. Then Kate heard a strange thump, and the sound of something sliding along carpet.

"Shit," Tony whispered. "Nieces."

He moved off of her, and by instinct alone, Kate moved as well. In bare seconds, she found herself spooned in the bed with Tony, which… didn't exactly help. He pulled her tight into him, and she could feel everything. Absolutely everything. She bit hard on her bottom lip, resisting the urge to move against him. Not now. Not with two very young girls about to storm the room. She knew her face was heated and her breathing and heart rates were elevated, and that both she and Tony looked like they'd just been doing what they'd just been doing. And she knew that if Rebecca or Mario were accompanying their daughters, they wouldn't be fooled for an instant. But she hoped that the two girls were young enough that they wouldn't think anything was wrong.

She closed her eyes and tried to pretend to be asleep. The girls were giggling and whispering now, though the closed door muffled the sound. Tony tensed slightly against her as the doorknob turned, and then there was a change in the way the room sounded as the door opened. The giggles were much clearer. "See?" one of them whispered. "Told you he's still asleep."

"What about Aunt Kate?" asked the other. Kate was very glad she and Tony were facing away from the door. Despite everything, she couldn't help but smile. Aunt Kate indeed…

"She's asleep too. Come on."

Kate heard them take supposedly stealthy steps across the carpet, and she readied herself for whatever frontal assault they had planned. They were giggling almost non-stop, fairly close, when suddenly, without moving at all, Tony said, "What do you two think you're doing?"

The two girls burst into high-pitched squeals of laughter and ran from the room. Kate winced at the sound. Still, the purpose was served. The girls were gone, and without having seen much of them beyond Tony's back.

She wanted to look at him, but when she tried to shift, his arms tightened around her, holding her in place. His head came forward and rested on her back, and he sighed deeply. Kate's brow furrowed. What was going on? Tentatively, she put one of her hands on his. He captured it and threaded his fingers through hers, holding on tightly. Her heart began to pound again, but for a different reason. "Tony?" she asked, not quite able to keep tension out of her voice.

In response, he kissed what he could reach, her shoulder, neck, ear. "It's okay, Kate," he whispered. "We need to talk, but it's okay."

She was only slightly reassured by his words. He was acting in such an unexpected manner. She didn't know how to react. He let her go then, starting to rise from the bed, and she rolled onto her back, intent on at least looking at him. His expression was serene, and he smiled down at her before lowering his head to hers and kissing her deeply. Then he got up and left the room. She heard the door to the bathroom close.

She lay there, staring up at the ceiling, trying to get a handle on her emotions. She was… And he was… What had just… And did it mean…

_What the hell?_

She heard the shower in the bathroom start, and she sat up, hugging her legs to her chest. What had Tony meant, they needed to talk? Well, yes, they did, but he had just left the room, and was now taking a shower (an ice cold one, she was willing to bet). He'd just left her hanging here like this? She was certain of her own reaction. It had perhaps been a split second decision, but she was committed to it now. Was he? Maybe that was it. Maybe he wasn't. But then she remembered the look on his face before he'd left, and the way he'd kissed her. No, whatever else, he was. He'd told her it was okay. He wouldn't lie to her. Not about this.

But then…

She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and before she could do much more than gather the quilt around her, Rebecca appeared in the doorway. Smiling, she said, "I did warn you last night…" She trailed off, and her head tipped to the side. "What's wrong, Kate?"

Of course Rebecca could read it off of her. Mutely, Kate shook her head. Rebecca came into the room and sat down on the bed, pulling her legs up on it and crossing them. "You can tell me," she said with evident concern, reaching out and putting her hand on Kate's arm. "What's happened with Tony?"

It reminded her of sitting in her room when she was a teenager, hashing out the minute details of her latest crush with Damien. But she was grown up now, and Rebecca wasn't Damien. She needed to tell someone. "Would it surprise you to know that Tony and I aren't dating?" she said.

Rebecca blinked, and sat back a little. "Yes," she said. "It would."

"Then it might not surprise you to know that something happened this morning that wasn't exactly platonic."

Rebecca smiled. "No, it doesn't," she said gently. "Start at the beginning, Kate."

She did, from asking Tony out for dinner on Friday to her realizations of the morning and what had happened when Tony had woken, leaving out many of the minute details. Rebecca listened intently. Finally, Kate reached the end, and sat there, chewing on her bottom lip. "I don't know, Rebecca," she said finally. "This is so unlike him."

Rebecca leaned forward and took Kate's hands, unraveling her arms from around her legs. "It might be unlike him now," she said, "but it wasn't unlike him then. When Tony commits, he commits. When he plays, you know it, but when he takes something seriously, you know it too. Have you seen it at work?" That was a thought. She had seen Tony go from joker one minute to serious homicide cop the next. She nodded. Rebecca squeezed her fingers. "You're obviously that important to him, Kate," she said. "Don't worry."

"No, don't."

They both looked up to see Tony in the doorway. He was still dressed in his T-shirt and boxers, but his hair was wet. He leaned on the doorframe. Immediately, Kate felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Tony," she said. "I just–"

He cut her off, shaking his head. "I didn't handle it very well this morning, Kate. It's all right. I was thinking we should tell these two anyway." His eyes shifted to Rebecca. "Give us a few minutes, will you?" he said.

"Sure," she answered. She got up off the bed. "Breakfast is ready when you're done."

She touched Tony's arm on her way out the door, and then she was gone. Kate listened to her steps up the stairs, watching Tony. He was looking at her, almost the same serene expression on his face as before he'd left the room. When they heard Rebecca traverse the floor above them, he moved. He came into the room and over to the bed, sitting down in the place Rebecca had vacated. He took one of her hands from where they'd once again wrapped around her legs, brought it to his mouth and kissed the backs of her fingers, then enveloped it in both of his and rested them on the bedspread.

Kate said the first thing that came into her mind. "You say we need to talk and then you run away."

He winced slightly, but nodded. "I did. I'm sorry. On the other hand, if I hadn't, we wouldn't be talking right now." His serenity burned away a little with a wicked grin. "You're way too damned hot, Kate."

She blushed, but resolutely kept looking at him. "And that would have been a bad thing?"

"Normally? No. But these aren't normal circumstances, are they?"

Good Lord, when he got serious… "All right, DiNozzo. Say what you want to say."

"No interruptions?"

"Done."

"Okay." He looked down for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then raised his head. "I'm five years out of practice at this, Kate, and five years in practice at having flings. I'm also still a little hung up on Annette. It's starting to get better, but it's only been about half a day since I decided to let go of her. I like pushing people's boundaries. I'm not the easiest person to be around. And we work together. And Gibbs'll do us some damage if he finds out. And I really, really don't want to hurt you, Kate." He squeezed her hands, but his eyes never left hers. "So if you want out right now, just say the word, and that'll be it. I won't say anything else. But if you're up for it, so am I." He stopped, and after a moment in which all she could do was stare at him, he shifted a little uncomfortably. "That sounded better in my head. Umm…"

"Let me get this straight," she interrupted. "You're giving me a bunch of reasons to dump you before we're even dating?"

He blinked at her. "Wow," he said. "It sounded a lot better in my head."

"How did it sound in there?"

He shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin. "Mature. Self-sacrificing. Honest. You know, the kind of guy you'd want to date."

She couldn't resist rolling her eyes a little. "I've dated those types before, Tony. Do you see me with any of them now?"

"Well, no, but–"

"I want to be with you, Tony." She paused. The words sent all kinds of feelings and reactions coursing through her. She took a breath. "I want to be with you," she repeated.

By the look on his face, her words had the same kind of effect on him. But there was a hint of uncertainty. "You do?"

"I can see you're going to need constant reassurance." She smiled to take the bite out of the words.

She needn't have. He laughed and leaned forward. "Oh, yes, Kate, constant reassurance. Why don't you start now?"

He was close. She drew her one hand out from between his and put both on his face. His skin was cool under the one he'd held, warm against the one he hadn't. Touching him, she looked into his eyes. "I might just," she told him.

She swallowed any reply he might have given. Her lips on his, she marveled that she was going to be allowed to do this all she wanted. He was going to let her. More than let her, encourage her, just like he was doing now, with his hands pressing on her legs to stretch them out in front of her, then moving up to her waist, drawing her forward as though she didn't weigh a thing, holding her close to him, putting more pressure on her lips…

He broke away, his hold on her tightening, and he whispered, "Wait, wait," over and over into her hair. It took her a while to realize he wasn't speaking to her, but to himself. He quieted eventually, but still held her. Finally he sighed. "You have to stop doing that, Kate," he said.

"Doing what?"

"Undoing all the good that cold shower did me."

She pulled back to look him the eye. "Good?" she asked.

He smiled at her, and kissed her lightly. "Good," he said. "I want to take this slow, Kate. I have to take this slow."

"How slow?" she asked.

He laughed a little. "A lot slower than either of us will want to."

She frowned. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

He shrugged, and her hands on his shoulders felt the upheaval. "Fast is what I'm used to, Kate. I don't want to do that to you. Everything about this has to be different. And it's going to be really hard." He leaned forward until his forehead rested on hers. Her eyes closed. "It's not too late," he said quietly. "One word, and we can go back to the way things were. I promise."

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"I swear to God, if you ask me that one more time, I'm going to have to hurt you." She pulled back, eyes opening, and found him looking at her, the uncertainty back on his face. "I'm in, Tony, okay? Yeah, it'll be hard. I'm not the easiest person to get along with either. You think you've got issues? They're nothing compared to some of mine. Relationships are hard. Anyone who doesn't think so is naïve. So stop giving me a parachute. I don't need it. I don't want it. If you keep asking me, I might think that you do. Do you?"

His kiss was answer enough to that question, and this time she was the one that pulled back before they could get too deep. "Slow, remember?"

"I forgot."

"Then perhaps I should remove the temptation."

His arms tightened around her, and his amusement showed on his face. "Do you think so?"

"I have my reasons."

"Such as?"

"Such as your sister-in-law will be wondering where we are."

"She knows."

"How about seeing you here all freshly washed makes me feel all grubby and undone?"

"You're beautiful, Kate."

She couldn't help but laugh, even as the compliment made her skin tingle. "I just woke up, Tony. I haven't looked in a mirror yet today, but I know what I look like first thing in the morning."

"You're beautiful," he repeated seriously.

She looked into his eyes for a long moment. The air grew heavy. Finally, she said, "I'm also hungry."

Reluctantly at first, his grip loosened, but then he broke out into a patented DiNozzo grin. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?" he asked. He slid his hands down to hers, and before she could really prepare herself, he was cheerfully helping her up from the bed. "Hygiene is one thing, but food is definitely another."

Kate laughed. "I should have known to go for the stomach first."

"It's a weak point, you know that. Now, off you go. I need to get dressed."

"Well, in that case…" She sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"Ha ha, Kate. Seriously…" He waved her in the direction of the door.

She couldn't believe it. This was delicious. "Shy, DiNozzo? My my…"

"Nooo," he said in a falsely peevish tone. He grabbed her hands and pulled her up again. She leaned forward into him, and his arms came around her. He looked down into her face. "I'm thinking of poor you, wanting breakfast." He lowered his head a little and whispered, "I promise, Kate, you'll see everything someday."

She stood on her toes to get closer to him. "Newsflash, Tony," she whispered back. "I already have."

He leaned down and planted a kiss just forward of her ear. "Not in this kind of detail," he murmured.

Before she could stop it, her imagination was off again, and she let it do what it would for a while, until Tony stepped back and let her go. She looked at him, visually tracing the lines of his torso underneath his shirt. "Promise?" she asked.

"Only if you do."

"Oh, yeah, Tony. I promise that one, all right. In triplicate."

Fire flared up in his eyes, and she saw him bite down hard on his lip. When he'd pulled himself back under control, he spoke. "I promise. Now go, Kate, before I do something I really, really want to."

She really wanted him to do it too, but she left anyway. The door to the bathroom closed behind her, and she looked into the mirror. All she could see was her eyes. They were wide, with shock and lust and emotion and attraction running through them. She tried to look at herself, but couldn't.

She was seeing Tony.

She got into the shower somehow, and the water began to beat down on her. She made it colder than she otherwise might have, and it seemed to help a little. Quickly, she washed her hair and her body and shut it off. She wrapped herself in a large guest towel and climbed out. When she turned once more to the mirror, which was only slightly tinged with condensation, she was able to focus on her entire face.

But she was seeing Tony.

By God, it was a thing. A definite thing. A crazy, unexpected, wild thing. A potentially wonderful thing.

In the mirror, she saw herself smile. She looked happy. She guessed that she actually was.


	12. Chapter 10: Tony Platonic

Author's Note: You are all so patient! I sincerely apologize. Work, school, and sickness... Well, you know how it goes. I am posting the rest of the story today, two platonic chapters, and two romantic chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

**Part 10: Tony**

Tony made sure he was at work early Monday morning. Gibbs was due back, and while normally Tony would have been hard-pressed to beat him in, the director had barred him from entering the building before 0900, which gave Tony a decided advantage. He would have time to clean off his desk before Gibbs could return, and given that he'd been a little distracted towards the end of last week, it really did need tidying.

There were other reasons for coming in early, too, Tony thought as he hung his jacket up and glanced at the unoccupied desk across from his. He beat Kate in too, and that meant that he would have first-on-site advantage–

"Morning, Tony."

–although not by much. "Morning, Kate. Slept in, I see."

She shrugged. "Got used to it," she said. "You see, someone told me to once, and I'm afraid I picked up the habit." She put her coffee down on her desk and turned her back on him to shed her coat.

"And what terrible person did that?"

She turned back to him with a grin. "Well, if you must know–"

"Who wants odds?" Abby's perpetually perky tones interrupted them. She had popped in from one of the hallways and was walking over to them.

"It's 0700! How early do I have to be here to be the first one in?" Tony said.

If Kate was relieved that Abby had shown herself at that exact moment, she didn't show it. "Odds on what, Abby?" she asked.

"On Gibbs trying to sneak in before 0900," Abby said, leaning on Tony's desk. "What time he tries, and whether he gets in or not."

"I'll take that action," Tony said, digging into his pocket for his wallet. "What's left?"

Abby took a pad of paper from the pocket of her lab coat. "Umm... Seven fifteen, seven forty-five, and eight forty-five."

Tony looked over her shoulder at the neatly drawn list. "Aw man, Ducky has the one I wanted."

"Which was?" Kate asked.

"Seven thirty, succeeds."

"If you think that, you'd better get started on cleaning up your desk."

"I like to think of it more as a welcome-back present for Gibbs. A neatly wrapped reason to yell at me."

Kate shook her head at him, but he just smiled disarmingly, handed Abby a five, and put himself down for seven forty-five, succeeds. Abby bounced over to Kate then, who took a look at the list. "Abby, you got the Director to place a bet?"

Abby hung around for a while, chatting with Kate, and Tony started reorganizing the case files on his desk. It didn't take too long, and when seven forty-five came around, he went to the windows and looked out at the parking lot. "Damn," he said.

"No sign of him?" Kate asked.

"Nope. What did you bet, Kate?"

"I didn't. I think he's going to follow orders."

"You don't have faith, Kate. Maybe he's trying to sneak in through the service bay." He returned to his desk and tied himself into the security network. But Gibbs didn't show up on any of the cameras. Eventually, the clock ticked over to eight (the Director's chosen time). Tony sighed. "Just when you think you know a guy."

"Come on, Tony," Kate said. "Unlike you, Gibbs follows orders in the morning."

"Since when?"

Tony popped out of his chair. Gibbs was walking to his desk from the direction of the staircase, briefcase in one hand, coffee in the other. "Boss!" he said. He looked over at Kate, who seemed just as shocked at Gibbs' sudden appearance, and mouthed. 'Five minutes!' She bit down on her lower lip to hold in her laughter, and shrugged at him. "Good to see you. How was your vacation?"

"Enforced," Gibbs replied, inserting himself behind his desk. "How do you think it was?" His eyes scanned the pristine surface, as though taking in the sight of a lost friend.

"I'll bet you were just ready to go first thing this morning," Tony said. "And, just... what exact time were you ready to go?"

Gibbs looked up at him, and Tony remembered how hard it could be to read his face. "And why would you want to know that, DiNozzo?" he asked, in that tone that could either be joking or extremely dangerous.

Tony wondered which it was. He hesitated for a moment before deciding that even Gibbs would be in a good mood after two weeks off. "No real reason," he said, leaning on his cubicle wall. "Just... for my own personal enlightenment."

Gibbs looked at him, then over at Kate, who had also risen from her desk and was leaning on the wall that separated her cubicle from Gibbs'. "And you, Kate? Would you care to be... 'enlightened' as well?"

"That depends, Gibbs," she said, and Tony noticed she didn't bother to check her amusement. "Who would you rather win the pool, Tony or the Director?"

"The Director won't win, he said he wouldn't be able to get in," Tony pointed out.

Gibbs looked from one to the other, and then his severity relaxed. So did Tony. Thank God. He was in a good mood. "Then maybe I should just keep it to myself," he said. "Until I can talk to Abby about gambling on her boss."

"How did you–" Tony started to say, but cut himself off. It was Gibbs, after all. He just knew things.

"Anything exciting happen while I was away?" Gibbs asked then, looking at the top sheet of the pile of reports on his desk.

Tony glanced at Kate. Her lips moved slightly in a smile, and she winked at him. "No," Tony said, winking back. "Nothing exciting."

"Did you two have a good weekend?"

At first, Tony thought it might be a dig, that Gibbs might know this as he seemed to know everything else. But when he looked at his boss, Gibbs just raised his head and fixed a mildly curious look on him, then on Kate. Tony smiled. He didn't know. It might be fun to tell him, see what kind of reaction he would have. _Kate and I had dinner with my family, and played a couple for forty-eight hours. We were so good, my family thinks we're getting married soon._ It would almost be worth it to see his face.

Almost, but not quite. "Yeah," he said. "I spent some time with my folks."

"I watched a movie," Kate added.

They looked at each other. Neither was a lie, but they weren't the whole truth either. Amusement danced in Kate's eyes. Tony grinned at her, and turned back to Gibbs. "Nothing exciting," he repeated.

Gibbs looked from him to Kate and back. He seemed to be evaluating. Tony knew there was a new undertone in his relationship with Kate. He'd been aware of it from when she'd first arrived that morning. But it wasn't a fundamental change, and it wasn't readily apparent. Being Gibbs, of course, their boss would pick up on it, but he didn't seem to be able to put his finger on it, because he only said, "Good. Now get back to work."

"Yes, Boss," Tony said.

"Right away," Kate added.

Tony turned and started back to his desk, but turned back. "Boss?"

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs replied, looking up again.

"It's good to have you back."

Gibbs nodded, acceptance of the welcome and all it implied. Tony nodded back, then dropped into his desk chair and pulled the current files towards him. When he looked up a moment later, Kate was also behind her desk, looking at him with a mischievous expression on her face. Tony could help but grin at her. She glanced to her left and back to him, and shrugged. Tony raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "If you two are done making faces at each other, I believe you have some things to do," Gibbs said.

Tony returned his gaze quickly to the file in front of him. "Yes, Boss."

"Sorry, Gibbs."

Tony didn't look up again, even when Gibbs sighed. "Thank God," Tony heard him say. "Everything is back to normal."

_Fin_


	13. Chapter 10: Tony Romantic

Author's Note: You are all so patient! I sincerely apologize. Work, school, and sickness... Well, you know how it goes. I am posting the rest of the story today, two platonic chapters, and two romantic chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

**Part 10: Tony**

The hardest part about Sunday had not been explaining in detail to Mario that he and Kate hadn't been dating, but were now. It wasn't leaving behind his beloved brother and sister-in-law and their two girls, watching them wave from the back step. It wasn't the drive back to DC, with its discussions of expectations, history, and ideas on how to keep it from their friends at work. No, the hardest part had been dropping Kate off at her apartment building and watching her struggle not to invite him in. The second hardest part had been his own struggle, to not invite himself in. Oh, they'd sat in the car for near on half an hour, doing significantly more kissing that talking, but eventually they'd begun to feel like ridiculous teenagers, and Kate had finally opened the door and got out of the car. He'd watched her carry her suitcase up the steps, and turn back to wave at him, before she opened the building door. He took that as a cue, and had stepped on the gas and floored it out of the parking lot before the rebellious elements of his personality could take over, park the car, and follow her up. By the time he'd parked in his own parking spot, he wasn't sure if he was extremely proud of or extremely disgusted with himself. But he decided not to think about it, had unpacked, made some dinner, and watched TV for the rest of the night. He couldn't remember what he'd watched; he kept tasting Kate on his lips, and had drowned in thoughts of her instead.

Now it was Monday morning, and he had come in early to work. He hoped he and Kate would have a few minutes to talk before anyone else showed up. They still needed to talk, in private, about what to say to their friends, and he wanted some time to figure out how he was going to react to her at work, given the changes in their relationship. He wanted to do that before Gibbs came in. He did not want his boss to be able to read this off of him, or her.

But she wasn't here yet. It was almost seven, and she hadn't arrived. So he was sitting at his desk, doing some of the work he'd let slip at the end of last week. Good Lord, was it only three days ago? So much had changed…

Where the hell was she? Paper kept disappearing, reports kept being written, and still she hadn't come in. Was she avoiding him? Was she having second thoughts?

On the other hand, maybe she was sleeping in. He laughed in his head at the thought. Kate, sleeping in. How droll.

The elevator arrived, and Tony looked up, trying to surreptitiously catch a glimpse of those it contained. A rather heavy stone fell on his stomach, and he dropped his head before they could notice his attention. Gibbs and Kate had exited the elevator together.

_No one's business but ours,_ he thought desperately. _You can do this. No problem. You don't need time to get yourself together._ When he deemed the time right, he looked up. "Boss!" he said, getting out of his chair. "You're back!"

"Obviously," Gibbs said. "You were expecting me, weren't you, DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, but not until, oh, nine or so," Tony said as Gibbs passed him for his desk. He glanced over at Kate as she went to hers. Her eyes met his, and a wicked humour showed in them. He fought a smile. She was enjoying the secret! He returned his attention to Gibbs before their boss could pick up on the delay. "I figured you'd want to drag your vacation out as long as possible."

The look that Gibbs gave him was priceless. He wished he had a camera. "My vacation was mandatory, DiNozzo. Why would I want to drag it out?"

"Didn't you have fun relaxing?"

Gibbs rewarded him with a roll of his eyes. "What happened while I was gone?"

_Kate and I started dating, Boss. May we have your blessing?_ "Not much. Couple of minor drug infractions, some Marines going AWOL, a friendly fire injury investigation. Pretty routine, actually."

"Friendly fire? Why didn't you call me?"

"We didn't call you because we were under orders not to, Gibbs," Kate broke in. "We handled it. The report's on your desk there."

Gibbs looked down at the pile of paper in front of him. He seemed annoyed, but Tony hoped it was because he was feeling a little out of the loop, and not because they'd done anything wrong. "All right," he said. "Let me get caught up on these, and then we'll brief on what you've got right now."

"Sure, Boss," Tony said. "Kate and I will just get to work."

"You do that."

Tony turned back to his desk, but stopped and looked back. "Boss?"

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs replied, looking up again.

"It's good to have you back."

There was a slight pause, but then Gibbs nodded, acceptance of the welcome and all it implied. Tony nodded back, then dropped into his desk chair and pulled the current files towards him.

When he was sure that Gibbs was engrossed in the reports they'd left for him, he looked up. Kate was also behind her desk, looking at him. This was going to be easier than he thought, Tony realized. Yes, there was a new undertone between them, but he didn't have the urge to throw her on the desk and kiss her senseless. There was a time and place for that, and this wasn't it, so it didn't seem to be an issue. But the mischievous light was still in her eyes, and Tony could help but grin at her. She glanced to her left and back to him. Tony raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. She pressed her lips together and shook her head slightly.

"If you two are done making faces at each other, I believe you have some things to do," Gibbs said.

Tony returned his gaze quickly to the file in front of him. "Yes, Boss."

"Sorry, Gibbs."

Tony didn't look up again, even when Gibbs sighed. "Thank God," Tony heard him say. "Everything is back to normal."

_Normal?_ Tony thought, and his amusement doubled, though he kept it from showing on his face. _Boss, you have no idea now not normal everything is. And if it all works out, you never will._

_Fin_


End file.
